Somewhere in the imperial palace of The Nameless Empire.
Footsteps echoed in the silence as a young crimson-haired noble strode down a grayish-white corridor, empty of both light and presence. Fiery locks and piercing crimson eyes gleamed within the darkness.
An exquisite beauty, one to whom arrogance seemed perfectly suited. He was Red A. Scarlet, the empire’s Archmage of Crimson.
His straight posture and rounded shoulders formed a perfect balance. Though all he was doing was walking, his presence exuded a sense of destruction, as if he was trampling over and crushing something beneath his feet.
After passing through one of the empire’s most sacred spaces, Red pushed open a door and stepped inside.
It was an odd place. Though spacious, only the center of the room was lit, and the light remained concentrated there, like a spotlight on a stage.
In the center of the room was a crimson chair, and surrounding it were six full-length mirrors, each of different colors—topaz, amber, emerald, azure, indigo, and violet.
With a thud, Red sat on the chair. As soon as he did, the mirrors, all save for violet, rippled, revealing hazy figures.
Red’s calm gaze swept across the five as he said, “Alderson is down.” No one responded, but he knew they were all listening, so he continued in his usual impassive voice. “At the academy, no less, located in the heart of the capital. He was still young in many ways, but I personally vouched for his title as an archmage. This is proof that circumstances are worse than we thought.”
“I suppose the peace has lasted for a little too long,” came a languid voice from the emerald mirror. “The Church of Darkness must’ve been bored out of their minds. Since they thrive on destruction and chaos, it’s no surprise they’ve begun to move.”Red frowned at the indifference. “And yet, knowing that, you are still holed up in your damn room, you hermit?”
“I pity you who does not appreciate the beauty of solitude. A mage’s greatest virtue is composure, and the confines of a room help keep the peace of mind.”
“Cut the crap. The Empire is facing an unprecedented shortage of talent. Even if it’s bound by an old pact, keeping two archmages locked away in that tiny land is a waste of resources.”
At that, the Archmage of Emerald, Asad, couldn’t help but change his tone.
“You’ve always been rude, but what you said just now, I find quite hard to overlook. Red, don’t tell me you’re suggesting some nonsense about releasing Lise Ladygoth.”
“Back in the day, the Platinum King personally interviewed criminals when forming the Platinum Knight Order.”
“That was during wartime.”
“It was. Do you honestly think things are any better now?”
“...”
“There may not be a war, but The Empire is no better off than it was back then. So tell me, should my suggestion really be dismissed as nonsense?”
“...”
The air turned cold. As Red stared at the emerald mirror, a lighthearted chuckle broke the tension.
“You two always seem to get along so well,” came a voice through the topaz mirror. In an attempt to intervene, the man beyond it said, “But this is the worst time for us to be arguing, isn’t it?”
“Shut it.”
“You keep your mouth shut, Orange.”
“...”
The mage called Orange said no more, but at least the icy tension in the room had lessened a bit.
“Well, fine,” Red said. “I’ll let it slide for now since I left that witch’s fate in your hands, but we can’t leave a seat among the Seven Colors empty for too long. Especially at a time like this.”
“You mean we should pick a successor right away?”
“I can’t see why not. There are plenty of candidates. With the war raging in the south, the names of prominent War Mages are constantly reaching my ears. The ones I’ve heard most recently are Bomb Master and Sand Mage.”
“What even is a Sand Mage? Do they use sand magic or something?”
“That is what the rumors say. Perhaps they developed their own unique magic.”
Just then, a voice spoke from the silent azure mirror. “Alderson, too, first made a name for himself as a war mage in the south. It’s not a bad idea... but personally, I’d like to recommend someone from the Magic Tower.”
Red’s gaze turned his focus to the mirror. “Amelia, I’ve heard rumors of a genius from the Magic Tower of the Fish. I believe that genius is your student? I heard they mastered all seven colors of magic at the age of seventeen.”
“Seventeen? That is quite impressive if true,” Asad chimed in.
From the azure mirror came a pride-filled voice, “Coraline’s talent is the greatest in history, and I don’t mean simply she is exceptional for her age. When she takes the seat of Archmage, I will no longer see her as my student but as an equal,” said the Archmage of Azure, Amelia, as if the vacant seat had already been filled.
The other archmages were slightly surprised by her attitude because Amelia was not one to let personal opinions influence her judgment.
...Though I’ll have to see for myself.
If even Amelia is speaking with such certainty...
This Coraline must be no ordinary mage.
The only one unfazed was Red.
“Sure. But just to let you know, I’ve seen my fair share of so-called once-in-a-generation talents in my not-so-short lifetime, and most of them ended up unable to even lick the Mage King’s boots, let alone fill his shoes,” he said casually.
“Coraline is—”
“Different? Then there is no need to hammer that into my head. The truth will prove itself soon enough.”
“...”
The Azure Mage had nothing to say because he wasn’t wrong.
Red continued, “Anyway, I’m putting it out there that I am even considered the Abraham Coven for the next Archmage of Violet. Their skill is undeniable despite them being an eccentric bunch.”
“You intend to judge solely on magical prowess?”
“This time, yes. I will still take basic decency into account... but age, background, and past accomplishments? They carry little worth.”
“Hmm.”
That decision was bound to face strong opposition.
The Archmages of Seven Colors weren’t just the empire’s top magicians. They were practically the face of the imperial court and also its representatives. Not to mention, aside from the reclusive Asad, each of them was the head of their own major organization.
And yet, none of them voiced strong objections for one simple reason...
The words came from Red, who was, in effect, the head of the Archmages.
“If you’re planning to fill the vacancy, by when?”
“As early as this month, by the end of the year at the latest.”
“Isn’t that... a bit too rushed?”
“You think so?” Red said with a low chuckle. But his expression turned serious in a matter of seconds. “A demon lord nearly descended upon the Imperial City.”
“...”
“In the east, a newly rising religion is causing havoc. In the west, gangs are making deals with the Church. In the south... well, you all know. The north is quiet for now, but that only makes it the perfect place to plot in secret.”
“In order words,” Asad said, “there’s no safe place left in the empire?”
Red’s silence confirmed his thought.
* * * * *
* * * * *
Most of the Archmages thought it was a hasty conclusion, but Asad completely agreed with Red. After all, the Imperial City wasn’t the only place to have faced a crisis.
“A high priest infiltrated Bednicker,” said Asad.
“...!”
Gasps filled the room, and even Red blinked in disbelief.
“What?”
“I’m saying, a demon lord almost descended in the training camp.”
“Bednicker’s training camp... that was recently, wasn’t it?”
“Things are getting real interesting...”
“Bednicker’s territory, as in the place just as safe as the capital—no, even safer from the cult’s influence—”
As the other archmages reacted in their own ways, Red rested his chin on his hand and muttered, “How unexpected. I didn’t think something like that would happen in the Lord of Blood and Iron’s domain.”
The Lord of Blood and Iron was one of the few people this arrogant archmage actually respected.
“Which demon lord did the high priest serve?”
“The Black Swamp.”
“And the one that nearly descended on the academy was the Blood-Lit Moon. I’ve heard the Black Swamp and the Blood Moon don’t get along, though... What funny timing.”
“Are you suggesting there’s a connection?”
“It’s just a speculation, but one that’s worth considering...” Red tapped the armrest with his finger. The atmosphere, on the verge of boiling over, cooled again.
After a moment of silence, Red said, “It’s no secret that the Church’s factions don’t get along due to differences in doctrine, so we never really see them together.”
“So—” began the Archmage of Azure, only to be interrupted by Red.
“However, coordinating the timing of events should not be difficult. They wouldn’t need to work side by side, just adjust their schedules. And as far as I know, there’s only one person in the Church capable of managing that.”
“...The cult leader,” Asad muttered, sounding drained.
This was something he’d been thinking about ever since he’d learned of Juan's identity as a high priest.
“Does this mean the cult leader is starting to make their move?”
“That, I do not know. Over the past few centuries, plenty of people in the empire have claimed to have seen the cult leader, with most of those encounters being in dreams... but the real problem is that no two eyewitness testimonies have ever overlapped.”
Red didn’t even bother to hide his annoyance.
“Some said it was a sinister-looking man. Others claimed it was a wrinkled old man. And some swore it was a young girl with a baby face. Now, it’s just my theory here, but I see two possibilities when it comes to the cult leader’s identity.”
Red held up two fingers and folded them down one by one as he spoke.
“First, the cult leader has the ability to change their appearance. Honestly, it would almost be a relief if that were the case.” Red shook his head and continued, “But those maggots in the cult always have a way of picking the worst-case scenario.”
“And what is that?”
“That there isn’t just one cult leader.”
“...”
A cold, heavy silence settled.
Then, for the first time, a voice came from the Amber mirror. “Not multiple vice-cult leaders, but multiple cult leaders?”
“I’m just saying it is a possibility.”
“Hmm... Even so, that seems a bit far-fetched.” The voice was casual, almost flippant, but Red was unbothered.
“Just keep it in mind. Now, Asad, we need more details about what happened in Bednicker.”
“...”
“I understand that the family you serve is secretive, but surely you’re not going to pull the ‘internal affairs’ card here.”
“Mmm,” Asad responded hesitantly. “To put it simply... the old geezers in the family tried to pull some strings and ended up shooting themselves in the foot.”
“What do you mean?”
“...The more I explain, the more I’ll end up dragging Bednicker through the mud, so if I end it here, do understand. Anyway, the one who caught on to the cult’s plan and took down the priest was someone unexpected: Dellark’s youngest, a kid named Luan, and—”
“Luan Bednicker,” Red cut him off.
Asad thought, Damn, this guy sure loves interrupting people, but he let it go. Instead, he asked, “Do you know him?”
“Oh, I know him. Soon, the entire empire will too.”
“Hm?”
As Asad blinked in confusion, the voice from the topaz mirror stepped in.
“He played a major role in stopping the Blood-Lit Moon disaster. He was one of the key figures, alongside Headmaster Alderson, in stopping the demon lord’s descent.”
“I read the report sent by the Special Forces. If all is true, then he handled things well beyond what you would expect of someone his age. Apparently, he took the role of leading the young heroes too. Strange that someone that capable stayed under the radar for so long. Did Bednicker hide him on purpose?”
“Well... Something like that,” Asad replied with a bit of uncertainty.
Red rubbed his chin thoughtfully and murmured, “First a high priest, now a demon lord. That’s quite a pattern. I find it strange how deeply he’s involved in both the cult’s recent events.”
Asad’s face hardened as he caught the subtle suspicion in Red’s voice.
“Hey, Red, I really hope you’re not getting any weird ideas,” Asad said, voice far colder than when they had discussed Lise Ladygoth.
Not that Red gave a damn, of course.
“The kid’s a Bednicker.”
“I know. But you know, there’s a funny saying in the Church of the Sun. ‘Only a baptized cleric can claim true innocence.’ ”
“...”
“Let me ask, has Luan Bednicker been baptized?”
“There’s no way he has.”
“Then my answer remains the same. I must always assume the worst. That is the position I’m in.”
“But...”
“It’s already too late, Asad.” Red’s tone changed as he continued, “Either way, the truth will come out soon enough, even if I don’t get involved. Heroes and the Church of the Sun, have sent out their informants, as has every other power-playing bastard. Even the Imperial family had no choice but to go with the flow. The academy is going to be noisy for a while.”
“...”
“But to change the subject a bit... all in all, this whole incident was stopped thanks to the efforts of Alderson, the young heroes, the Special Forces, the cadets, and even the imperial family. The demon lord’s descent was thwarted, and as a result, the followers of the Blood-Lit Moon likely suffered a blow. Therefore, as the Archmage of Crimson of the empire, I hereby summon—”
“What? You can’t mean...”
Ignoring the urgency in Asad’s voice, Red finished, “The Middle Names.”
____