Chapter 492: Twisted Power
Accompanied by Maria, the [True Saint], Tauro and his companions returned through [Dimensional Corridor] from the Van Dyne Marquisate to the Halagoura territorial capital.
Jin, the [Sky-Soaring Dragon Knight], and Slane, the [Divine Mage], didn’t accompany them.
The two remained behind as guardians of the Van Dyne Marquisate.
“The flow of magical power here is distorted.”
Maria frowned the moment she felt the power enveloping the capital.
She began explaining what she perceived.
“This appears to combine barrier magic with sorcery. Constructing it on such a scale is an impressive achievement. It’s probably drawing magical power not only from the Halagoura Marquisate but also from neighboring lands, then using that power to bless the capital, its surrounding fields, and its people. It could improve harvests and reduce the spread of disease.”
“Everything you described sounds beneficial to the Halagoura capital. Is there a hidden cost?”
Tauro tilted his head as he listened to Maria.
“The capital benefits only because the surrounding lands pay the price. Those regions are probably experiencing the opposite effects: poor harvests, outbreaks of disease, and similar misfortunes. Once their magical power is exhausted, the eventual backlash may be disastrous. This structure repurposes several forms of sorcery, so harmful side effects are inevitable.”
Maria shook her head.
“And this resembles the force that obstructed [Blessing] during the ceremony in Duke Barriera’s territory. Does that mean House Halagoura caused the interference there as well?”
Aeris now understood the connection.
“Then the Imperial abduction attempt wasn’t the only scheme operating at the time. Could House Halagoura and the Empire have been cooperating?”
Ankh voiced the disturbing possibility.
“That was probably a coincidence. The Imperial soldiers attacked because they mistook Aeris for Matilda. Looking back, they were most likely responsible for the arson as well.”
Tauro began fitting the separate incidents together.
“The fires may have been intended to test the local soldiers and Matilda’s guards. The interference with the Blessing Ceremony, on the other hand, was probably arranged by Suguro or someone accompanying him.”
Ragune offered her own interpretation.
“Yes. The structure surrounding this capital is much larger than the one used in Barriera’s territory. It can’t have been created quickly. Whoever developed it must possess extraordinary magical knowledge, correct?”
Aeris sought confirmation from Maria.
“A dragonfolk researcher could analyze and reproduce such a system relatively quickly. For a human to devise it from nothing, however, they’d need deep knowledge even of Saint-class magic. They have reversed the principle of [Blessing], using the twelve facilities around the capital to absorb magical power from the surrounding regions, gather it here, convert it, and distribute the result. The method is crude, and its reliance on sorcery is terribly twisted, but I understand the objective: they wished to make this city flourish.”
Maria’s tone made clear how immature and dangerous she considered the technique.
She then turned to Tauro.
“Lord Tauro, what would you have me do? Because the facility is founded on sorcery, I should be able to destroy it with the dispelling effect of [True Blessing]. Doing so, however, would cause an enormous commotion.”
Maria didn’t want her intervention to create unnecessary trouble for Tauro and his companions.
“Could you synchronize your power with another person’s [Blessing], making it appear that the other Saint produced the effect?”
Tauro asked.
“It’s possible, but why would—ah, I understand. You want everyone to believe that Saint Matilda performed it.”
Maria immediately grasped his intention.
“Exactly. The facility would be destroyed during the Blessing Ceremony that House Halagoura requested. They could hardly protest that a Saint’s invited blessing was too powerful. If the curse vanished through unknown means, they’d desperately hunt for the culprit. This way, they’ll know the apparent cause but be unable to complain. It’ll also preserve the dignity of the Kingdom of Luwan, which depends upon Matilda’s status.”
Tauro explained the advantages of the plan.
“Then I must stand beside Matilda during the Blessing Ceremony. Aeris, you should observe as well for the sake of your future training.”
As Aeris’s mentor, Maria wanted her to experience the technique firsthand.
“I have no objection, but will Matilda agree?”
Aeris believed their personal hostility had ended, though Matilda’s response remained uncertain.
“Send me back to the Van Dyne Marquisate for now. Once you’ve spoken with Matilda, summon me again.”
Maria proposed the arrangement with a faintly mischievous expression.
“Ah. You intend to make a dramatic entrance, don’t you?”
Tauro suddenly understood what she was planning.
“What do you mean?”
Ankh asked.
“Matilda believes she’s uniquely special because she’s the first publicly recognized Saint in a century. Maria intends to appear dramatically enough to show her that a [True Saint] stands on an entirely different level.”
Tauro explained.
“Would it not be simpler to demonstrate the difference through their abilities?”
Ragune asked reasonably.
“That would work, but it’d cause an uproar before the ceremony even began. No—it’d definitely cause one.”
Tauro could easily imagine how Luwan’s delegation would react if Maria openly displayed her true power.
“That’s true. Maria-san, is there anything I should do?”
Aeris wanted to help rather than leave everything to her mentor.
“You’re still training. There’s no need for you to attract attention yet.”
Maria could remain an unidentified, mysterious figure. Aeris’s identity, however, was already widely known. If she publicly revealed Saint-class abilities, the resulting attention could determine the course of her entire life. Maria intended to protect her pupil from that burden for as long as possible.
“Then please open the corridor, Ragune.”
At Tauro’s request, Ragune opened [Dimensional Corridor], and Maria returned temporarily to the Van Dyne Marquisate.