Chapter 9 : Summoning (4)

At the highest seat of the round table, a figure that seemed like darkness given human form sat there.

The first seat of Qliphoth:

Thaumiel.

As he appeared, the atmosphere fell silent.

No one knew when, where, or how he had appeared.

It could have been that he had just arrived, or perhaps he had been there from the beginning.

That was the kind of being he was.

Because of that, no one showed any signs of agitation.

Sitting next to him in the 10th seat, I glanced at him and opened my mouth.

“The other four haven’t arrived yet.”

Samael, Harab Serapel, Tagirion, and Sathariel.

Four Qliphoth had not yet arrived here.

To this, Thaumiel spoke in a distorted, noise-infused voice.

It’s not the first time they haven’t responded to a summons, is it, Nehemoth?

That wasn’t wrong either.

Not just for me, but the attendance of those four Qliphoth at meetings could be counted on one hand.

Maybe I saw them at the first meeting after I became “Nehemoth.” After that, I hardly ever saw them.

But…

“Hmm, even so, do not come even at a time like this, which is ideal for carrying out the grand work… Heh, they must be irritating you quite a bit, no?”

Beelzebub clicked his tongue as he spoke.

As he said, the fact that they hadn’t responded to the summons even at this ideal time to execute the grand work was surely not something that pleased Thaumiel.

However, Thaumiel responded as if it didn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter. They just need to do their work in their respective places.

“Heh, is that so?”

Beelzebub didn’t say anything further.

Thaumiel spoke.

Well then, let us truly begin the meeting now.

And so, the meeting among the Qliphoth began.

The beginning of the meeting involved Thaumiel receiving reports from each Qliphoth.

The first was Beelzebub of the Qliphoth of Gamaliel.

Gamaliel, how is the task currently assigned to you?

“It’s going smoothly. The task assigned to me is so simple that I almost feel sorry. All I have to do is mingle among humans and leave the plague dormant. How convenient is that? I’m sure it will be quite a spectacle when I unleash it later.”

Beelzebub of Gamaliel was tasked with spreading a global plague.

When asked about the progress of this task, Beelzebub shrugged as he answered.

After hearing Beelzebub’s report, Thaumiel turned his gaze to Asmodeus.

Golab, how are the preparations for war?

“First of all, don’t call me that. I’ve been preparing by deploying my subordinates. Though, the ones who resist are a bit of a nuisance.”

She ruled over a kingdom.

A kingdom named Golab, derived from the name of her Qliphoth.

Most of the high-ranking nobles and officials in that kingdom were composed of those connected to the Tree of Qliphoth, and the kingdom was secretly preparing for war.

This was also the reason she was called a “tyrant.”

After hearing the progress, Thaumiel spoke.

Once the grand work succeeds, the kingdom you rule will no longer be needed.

Crush them with power.

“Hmph, I intend to. However, I’ll still need a pretext.”

Though she was prideful and often thought like a child, she wasn’t someone who acted entirely without reason.

Upon hearing this, Thaumiel turned to Lilith.

Ask Gamaliel to handle that. Gamaliel, can you do it?

“The timeline will be extended compared to the original plan, but I can do it.”

Good.

Use the followers as you see fit.

And…

Are the investigations and persuasion of key figures proceeding as planned?

“You don’t need to worry about that part, Thaumiel.”

At Lilith’s confident assurance, Thaumiel also nodded in agreement.

Next was Astaroth.

She, as a princess, had a separate role meant to throw the empire and the academy into chaos in the future.

Ga’ag Shevlah, is there anyone around who suspects you?

“Not particularly. Playing the role of a princess is actually more enjoyable than I thought.”

Continue doing the same at the academy.

And…

Nehemoth.

Next, it was my turn.

Thaumiel asked.

Have you found the whereabouts of the Sword Saint and the Great Sage?

The Sword Saint and the Great Sage.

They were the two beings most often mentioned as the strongest “Transcendents” in existence.

The transcendental swordsman is believed to have ascended to the heavens through his blade, and the grand mage rumored to have grasped the truth of the world.

Thaumiel saw them as the most troublesome obstacles to the grand endeavor.

They were also tied to the task assigned to me.

I opened my mouth.

“I’m tracking them, but there are no definitive leads yet.”

I see…

Is it the same for the others?

The pursuit of these two Transcendents, deemed major obstacles to the grand work, wasn’t a task solely entrusted to me.

Although I was primarily responsible for the investigation, most of the Qliphoth were conducting their own investigations to varying extents.

However, it seemed that no one else had found any significant clues either.

Beelzebub shrugged his shoulders, Asmodeus let out a disinterested sigh, Astaroth smiled lazily with her eyes closed, and Lilith quietly shook her head.

Thaumiel spoke.

I see.

Even though they’re said to have gone into seclusion, they’ve hidden themselves thoroughly.

It can’t be helped.

Nehemoth, for now, makes preparations against the two of them.

Ensure that you can eliminate them at any time.

“…Understood.”

Hearing this, I responded and recalled the task assigned to me.

Tracking and assassinating the Sword Saint and the Great Sage.

As I thought of this, I quietly closed my eyes.

In truth, saying there were no leads was a lie.

Based on the investigation conducted through the power of the Nehemoth family, it was true that there weren’t any obvious clues.

However, within Lee Hyun-joon’s memories, there existed hints about the whereabouts of the Sword Saint and the Great Sage.

And for good reason…

They were “the protagonist’s mentors.”

The two of them, who had distanced themselves from the secular world and wandered together in seclusion, discovered the protagonist’s talent and took him as their disciple.

Soon after, they became convinced that the protagonist could even defeat the Evil Gods of the Tower and secretly enrolled him in the academy.

That marked the beginning of the game [Elysium Academy], which was based on this world.

As beings who were part of the story’s beginning, it was possible to track them down immediately, but…

‘There’s no reason to.’

At this moment, I had no reason to do so.

That’s because I had already abandoned the idea of following the will of the Tree of Qliphoth.

While I was lost in brief thoughts, Thaumiel spoke again.

Now, to the main point. Ga’ag Shevlah, and Nehemoth.

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“I’m listening.”

You two, who are to infiltrate the academy directly, have already been informed of the separate attendance we require from you.

As the dark figure said this, the dark golden glow of his eyes flickered in the shadowy face.

From now on, remember what I am about to say and ensure the task is completed.

With those words, he spoke to us in a low voice.

After hearing everything he said, I closed my eyes once again.

The plan Thaumiel shared with Astaroth and me.

That concluded the meeting.

Thaumiel, the host of the meeting and the first seat of the Qliphoth, spoke his final words.

Comrades, the time has come.

Ssssshhhh…

His darkness gradually expanded, as though it would engulf the entire world.

Our god will resurrect. We shall witness the moment of glory.

At those words, Beelzebub clicked his tongue and let out an unpleasant laugh.

Asmodeus raised the corners of her lips in a sinister smile.

Astaroth chuckled lazily.

Lilith quietly closed her eyes.

Now, let us fulfill our tasks.

Woosh!

With those words, the darkness vanished completely.

Thaumiel left the meeting.

And then.

“Well then, I suppose this old man will take his leave first.”

With those words, Beelzebub was the first to rise and disappear from his seat.

“…Lilith, do pay me a visit later.”

Asmodeus, the queen of Golab, left next, busy as she was, leaving only that remark before vanishing.

“Hmm… I barely managed to make time to come here, so I should return quickly… Well then.”

Astaroth, disguised as the princess of the empire, turned to look at me with a faint smile and left me with a single remark.

“Nehemoth. See you at the academy next time?”

With those words, Astaroth also disappeared from the room.

“…Telos.”

And so, only Lilith and I remained in the room.

She looked at me.

“…Is there something you wish to say?”

“…No.”

She stared at me for a moment, then shook her head and said,

“I’ll see you next time… next time.”

With that, she, too, disappeared.

I, the one who arrived here first, was the last to leave.

With the darkness, I disappeared from the room.

And in the meeting room where Telos had left, only silence remained.

Flash!

I returned to my room in the Nehemoth family estate.

Due to Lee Hyun-joon’s influence, the space felt strangely familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time.

In that space, I began to remove my outerwear and equipment one by one.

Then, I changed clothes.

With my pants on, I was buttoning up a shirt when I turned to look in the mirror.

There, I saw the image of a young man with his shirt still unbuttoned.

And in the center of his chest, near his heart, a tattoo-like image stood out.

I stared at it for a moment before buttoning my shirt and sitting on the edge of the bed.

“…So, enrollment at the academy.”

Now, there wasn’t much time left.

Thinking that, I closed my eyes.

And so, a few days passed.

The day of the academy’s entrance ceremony arrived.