Episode 336 – The Greedy Adjudicator (2)
Demtor had suffered a crushing defeat in the war against the witch.
This loss was the beginning of Demtor’s fragntation.
A great number of mages died, and even one of Demtor’s Stars was sacrificed—a humiliating defeat. At the eting to determine responsibility, Gram Seraphim was singled out.
In order to create the wide-area bomb Terremor, she sacrificed not only the mana core of the fallen Demtor Star, Lindbergh of the Wind Tower, but also the mana cores of the deceased mages.
It was Gram who had proposed the plan to annihilate the Ordor Forest.
But the plan failed miserably.
Her bomb failed to inflict any damage on the Ordor Forest.
[She wasted the mages’ sacrifice!]
Modin, the Lord of the Ivory Tower, raised his voice in denouncing her, and by majority vote of the Stars, she was forced to make public her research achievents—more precious to a mage than life itself—to all of Demtor.
This was Demtor’s unique punitive structure: everyone could satisfy their intellectual curiosity at the cost of one person's sacrifice.
However, Modin had not anticipated the impact of the research materials Gram would disclose.
Gram revealed two major research results.
One was the formula for Blood Nature, a potion revered as “the drop of god,” which stimulated a mage’s mana senses. The other was information on the Black Butterfly Project, a project aid at strengthening mages’ weak bodies to enable them to engage in close-quarters combat.
Blood Nature and the Black Butterfly Project.
After this information was disclosed across Demtor, the mages had two reactions to Gram:
Shock, and fear.
Nagrok clenched his fists at the thought of Gram.
Her revelation of the Black Butterfly Project had not only deepened Demtor’s division, but also created an imnse fissure.
He, too, had once been curious about the project.
As the project was nearing completion, it had already drawn attention. But once its secret developnt process was laid bare, it shocked everyone.
Particularly the human experintation.
Research involving the dissection of dead mages’ bodies to study mana circuit structures provoked fear among fellow mages.
The fear that they, too, could beco test subjects in the future.
Everyone already knew Terremor had been created using mages’ mana cores.
Gram’s research kills mages!
It was concluded that her research was extrely dangerous, and calls to abolish all research associated with her grew louder.
A crisis struck the Black Tower, and Gram’s influence quickly crumbled.
Had she simply collapsed, it would’ve ended there, but mages who supported her began to appear one by one.
Those who believed that fulfilling intellectual pleasure was a mage’s gift—or rather, a right.
Many mages in Demtor held such beliefs, and they were greatly inspired by Gram’s research. To them, it was no less than a revelation of a new world.
They gathered together to protect Gram, and when Grand Duke Bersen Clarke publicly expressed his support for her, Demtor fell into utter chaos.
To Nagrok, Gram was nothing short of a disaster who had thrown Demtor into turmoil.
This isn’t good.
And now, Aintrier had sided with such a person. This fight was clearly going to be much more difficult.
Gram is a snake-like woman.
If he rely stood by and watched, he would be devoured.
“Is the one who signed this parchnt the Grand Duke?”
“If the signer weren’t the Grand Duke, would I have agreed to the deal?”
Etched into the black parchnt’s lower edge was a dark red bloodstain.
It was Grand Duke Clarke’s blood seal.
“That seal could be a fake...”
“You think I wouldn’t be able to tell?”
Nagrok bit his lip as he continued speaking.
“I don’t know how she managed to manipulate the Grand Duke, but Gram is a dangerous elent who could destroy Demtor just to satisfy her own intellectual lust.”
“Is that so?”
“Don’t trust her. Leaving your back to her is a foolish move. You know the Lord of the Ivory Tower well, don’t you? At the very least, she keeps her promises to the end.”
“I’m aware. The Ivory Tower Lord is a person of integrity.”
“Then why reject her proposal...?”
“Because this is more certain.”
Azonne waved the parchnt with a troubled expression.
“This kind of firm covenant letter is more appealing than vague words on paper.”
“You really an to...”
“Oh, and her offer was much more generous than yours.”
“What?”
Nagrok let out a hollow laugh.
A better offer than theirs? Nonsense.
He had proposed that all financial transactions over the next five years would be conducted through Aintrier—in essence, giving Azonne control over Demtor’s financial flow.
A more generous offer than that?
“She promised ownership rights to the fallen towers.”
“What?”
“She said that whenever any towers fall, I would be guaranteed ownership.”
Nagrok listened in stunned silence.
Then, as he realized the implication, his face twisted in anger and he shouted.
“You crazy bastard! Do you even understand what that ans?!”
“How could I not?”
Azonne tucked the parchnt into his robes and gave a calm smile.
“War.”
“You’re insane.”
“I’m not insane.”
“You think we’ll permit you to own the collapsed towers?”
“Of course you won’t. That’s why she ntioned war. And she brought the ans to win that war. A way to deal with the towers that oppose her.”
A way to deal with the towers?
If Azonne, a man known for his shrewdness, had heard the plan and sided with Gram, it ant he had confidence in that thod.
What exactly had Gram brought to the table?
Gritting his teeth, Nagrok’s expression turned fierce as he pulled out an orb.
As killing intent filled the study, Azonne raised both hands as if troubled.
“You’re not planning to harm now, are you?”
“If you’ve sided with Gram, then you’re a grave threat to us.”
“If I die by your hand, Demtor will fall into catastrophe.”
“No.”
Nagrok sighed and raised the orb, pointing it at Azonne.
“The catastrophe has already begun. To minimize it, you must now beco our hostage.”
Nagrok was the deputy lord of the Ivory Tower, in charge of intelligence for Demtor.
Being well-inford, he knew that if he didn’t subdue Azonne now, disaster would soon befall Demtor.
If I’d known it’d co to this, I would’ve t him...
He regretted not eting a certain man.
Alex Marcia, the representative of the World Tree Union.
A man who had requested a eting with him several days ago.
Alex had repeatedly requested an audience through the Lenon Workshop, but was always turned down.
Because until Azonne responded to the proposal, Nagrok wasn’t permitted to et with other forces.
I was too cautious...
He should’ve heeded the Tower Lord’s advice to approach the World Tree Union imdiately if things dragged on.
But he hesitated—because of the witch in the World Tree Union.
A mage seeking help from a witch?
No mage from Demtor in their right mind would ever do that.
But now it’s different.
If Aintrier had sided with Gram, then he had no choice but to seek the World Tree Union’s help.
Otherwise, he would be devoured.
Nagrok resolved that the mont he escaped this place, he would seek out Alex.
Crackle—
Nagrok hurled the orb toward Azonne.
The fist-sized orb was an artifact.
Ring of Restraint.
Monts later, the orb exploded and white rings burst out, wrapping around Azonne.
It was a binding magic capable of restraining even those with divine titles. Once caught, escape was nearly impossible.
The ring of light quickly shrank around Azonne.
But only for a mont—soon the white ring hit a semi-transparent barrier and spewed flas.
Nagrok focused intently on the protective field around Azonne.
“A mana barrier?”
“I’m still a Lord. You didn’t think I’d co without protection, did you?”
“Hmph. How long can you last?”
The Ring of Restraint fiercely pressed against the mana barrier, tightening the space.
The barrier began to shrink slowly.
But Azonne’s expression remained calm.
Why?
He was certain that Nagrok could not defeat him.
As uncertainty flickered across Nagrok’s face, Azonne slowly raised his index finger and pointed at him.
Crrck
Through the cracking barrier, Azonne spoke quietly.
“Isn’t it strange?”
“What are you talking about?!”
“That I could’ve deceived you, yet I chose to tell you everything.”
“Gram said this—‘If we’re going to share a big piece, at least show so sincerity.’ So I said, okay.”
At that mont, Azonne’s two eyes glead.
Each eye glowed with a different light.
The Eye of Greed.
And The Eye of Goldness.
When those twin powers locked onto Nagrok, he faintly smiled.
[Judgnt Probability: High]
Azonne’s power, unknowable to others.
Though its activation conditions were complex, once triggered, it could instantly kill any wielder of divine titles.
[Greedy Arbiter (Target: Owner of a Divine Title) – Nagrok]
“Farewell.”
“...What?”
Snap—
Azonne flicked his finger.
Nagrok’s eyes widened.
He staggered, coughed up a massive amount of blood, and stared at Azonne in disbelief.
His clenched heart wasn’t beating.
“How... kuhk!”
He reached out, but grasped only air.
Nagrok collapsed, trembling, spitting blood. His eyes were wide with injustice.
A aningless death.
Monts later, his ragged breathing stopped completely.
“Hm...?”
Azonne, stroking his chin as he looked down at Nagrok’s corpse, picked up the fallen orb.
Ring of Restraint, was it?
With its master dead, it had lost its power and reverted to its true form.
Azonne played with the orb for a mont, then tucked it into his robes. He approached the bookshelf and gently pulled out a book.
Click-click-click
The shelf opened with a soft chanical sound, revealing a solid wall.
Then, Azonne manipulated the mana stone embedded in the wall, and a low vibration followed by a black portal appeared.
Before stepping into the portal, Azonne looked back.
The floor of the study was soaked in dark red blood.
Though Nagrok’s corpse had left behind signs of death in the study, Azonne showed no interest.
This was Lord Azonne’s private study.
He knew full well that no one could enter this room without permission.
“I’ll have to replace the floor.”
Monts later, Azonne’s form vanished completely into the portal.
Darkness embraced him.
Azonne remained standing, eyes wide open.
A few seconds later, blue flas rose above the darkness.
The flas, sensing Azonne’s presence, spoke in unison.
“We greet the Master.”
“We greet the Master.”
“We greet the Master.”
The voices of Black Market branch heads across various regions.
Azonne nodded once, then got straight to business.
“How much gold did we lose?”
He was checking how much wealth had disappeared as the cost of using the Arbiter’s power.
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