Chapter 126
Magic rained down from the sky, causing utter chaos.
Three layer. Four layer. Even ten layer magic circle formulas were being used to increase the firepower of spells released every second.
It was in such rapid succession that one would assume it to be from an entire unit of mages at the very least.
Each unit of a nation's army consisted of at least 100 professional mages who either graduated from the Academy or are trainees from a Magic Tower.
But contrary to one's expectations, a single woman was firing those spells. Her entire body was unable to contain her incredible amount of mana so her body was covered in her mana.
Pillars of flames rose from the ground and assaulted the thousands of monsters that wanted to pass by the barrier separating two worlds. Almost immediately after a gigantic lightning dragon destroyed the horde of monsters before exploding, causing a massive crater to form in the same spot.
"Ugh! When will this stop!?" Freya screamed in annoyance as she looked around, "Why are there so many of them this time!?"
She was at the Intermid Barrier. It was near the national border guarded by the Imperial Army, Fairy Province magic units and the Republic of Zrek's army.
Freya received a distress call when she was in the middle of travelling from nation to nation to recruit potential Hero Party members.
The search didn't go as well as she planned it to. No one even believed her when she told them what she knows so she hadn't gotten anyone to join yet.
She was thinking of approaching SS-rank adventurers but didn't get the chance to find any of them. SS-rank adventurers were always busy, so much so that they were almost never in their nations. It was impossible even for her to track down multiple people.
Freya would've been lucky to recruit even one of them. But she heard something was going on in the empire so she wanted to rush there as soon as possible before the distress call. That wasn't a priority now, though.
"There are different variants of monsters than the last time. Are they new species? Dammit! Did they evolve these past hundred years!?"
Freya wasn't worried about her power depleting completely. In fact, she could go days fighting monsters without rest. The problem was that she couldn't handle every single monster if there's too many of them.
While there was a low possibility of them breaking through the barrier, Freya couldn't take that chance. This was because there were many incidents in the past where a monster broke past the border and attacked the people here while fighting off the enemy nations from crossing into their lands.
The barrier sometimes loses its magic properties which causes holes to appear.
The border was east of the main camp at approximately 1km.
They had to keep a lookout on their flanks even if the border was peaceful.
That complicated things even more.
Though people and monsters couldn't cross the barrier, the magic spells that Freya was using could cross without even the slightest resistance from the barrier.
This was most likely due to the fact that the border was made out of natural mana so their different structures of magic didn't reject each other like two magnets' north poles. If one were to put it into perspective then it's similar to water being shot through a waterfall.
Freya finally finished killing the last monster that was trying to break through. Only a few open scratches were left in the barrier. It was surprisingly sturdy even though thousands of monsters just attacked it.
"Haa…" she stretched her arms and back.
'Should I go a little higher to make sure there aren't any cracks in the border in the sky?'
She thought that ought to be a good idea. It was better to be safe than sorry. There are monsters capable of flight after all.
So she decided to ascend higher with Flight Magic.
She was already very high since earlier but she was now so far up in the sky that the main camp was just a dot in the distance.
'Nothing unusual here.'
She went further.
"Eh, maybe I'm just a little paranoid."
She decided to stop once she was in the Exosphere.
She never went this high before to check for any large cracks. It wasn't to say that it was impossible for there to be cracks since they are so obvious.
The area where the crack forms would become so dense in atmosphere that it would become impossible for normal people to continue living there. Unlike back then, humans crafted magic items that can detect these rises in the air's density.
'If I hadn't seen it then I wouldn't have believed it myself….'
Freya thought as she looked at the border that extended even as far as space itself. The blue sky faded into darkness but that semi-transparent barrier kept going.
'Those things are kept in a prison away from us. Would we have survived this long if this barrier wasn't here?'
There were many people who would be able to survive even if the continent was overrun by these monsters. However, the normal folk and those far weaker than Freya would instantly die.
As the Archmage of the Seven Magic Towers, Freya had to come to the border whenever it was suspected that monsters would break through.
This was because no one other than her could handle the monsters. It had nothing to do with strength—well, almost nothing. Any magic user near her level could do the same but there was no one like that at the moment.
The monsters on the other side of the barrier couldn't be defeated by people who heavily relied on physical strength alone.
This was because of a phenomena that caused the monsters to come back to life even after being cut down.
Freya didn't just use magic to kill them, she applied antimagic to her magic circles just enough so that the monsters' bodies could lose their magical defenses and shut down but not enough to completely collapse a magic formula, leaving them vulnerable to arcane spells.
It was known by every mage on this continent that antimagic and magic couldn't coexist in one magic circle formula but it was possible for Freya. She was able to do this even before becoming Archmage.
In any case, the world on the other side of that barrier had an atmosphere thick with mana everywhere. It was similar to the World Tree Forest that had the highest content of mana in its atmosphere than anywhere else.
Due to the overabundance of mana but lack of oxygen and carbon dioxide, the monsters adapted and evolved to survive. They became able to do anything with mana, even living on without eating as long as there was mana to be converted into energy for their bodies.
The Magic Towers' research facilities had a living monster that was still being experimented on. It was captured shortly after the Demon War.
They found out a lot of things about these monsters. For example, too much sunlight and oxygen causes their bodies to form zits. This was because they got so used to their own world that they couldn't enter this one without some side effects. But that didn't mean that they couldn't evolve in this world.
That was what Freya feared the most about these monsters.
If, for some slight chance, some of them evolved then humanity would be in even bigger danger. The portals to the demon world would be the least of their worries.
If only we could destroy that entire world beyond the border so that only the Demons would be left, thought Freya as she clenched her fist.
If that's the case then she can finally kill the demon lords and leave the Demon King to the Hero, whoever he or she might be.
"?"
Freya was about to go back to the main camp but she noticed her surroundings had suddenly changed.
No, it was more like her consciousness was forced into another dimension and not her physical body. It felt familiar to her.
It was dark for a moment. Her eyes were open but she couldn't detect any light.
"It seems you require wisdom. We can provide you with that wisdom, child."
A voice—that didn't sound male or female—entered her ears.
Freya looked up when her vision came back.
Giant dark shadows were seated as they looked down at Freya. There were 17 of them in total.
"You…"
Freya gritted her teeth. She tried to control the emotions forcing themselves up her throat.
"We meet again, Freya York. It is always a pleasure to welcome the vessel who is destined to walk through the gateway that leads to the peak of our magic."
They were known as the 17 Outer Gods or 17 Grandmasters of Magic.
Each of them was responsible for the magic that humans called Arcane Arts. From the 1st rank all the way to 17th rank magic.
Each one if them had on a rune necklace that had the rank of magic that they governed.
Freya could only see the necklaces of 15 of them since she had only managed to attain the 15th rank of arcane magic.
"Humans are not capable of reaching 16th rank without giving their souls to us, dear child," said another one of the shadows as it pointed at Freya, "You should be lucky that you can reach this far without our help. If not then I would make your soul mine."
It was probably the outer god—who governed the 16th rank of magic—who said that. She could tell by the contempt in its voice.
"Do excuse any misconduct of the past. Every being has some selfish wish. Gods are no different. I hope you understand. Allow us to help you in your time of need. You need not worry, child. We will not attempt to take over your vessel. Not this time, at least." The one with the 5th rune spoke.
Though the words were gentle, Freya didn't bat an eye at what it said.
"Do you want to know how to destroy the world in the Intermid? Perhaps you want to know how mortals besides those blessed by gods can enter the divine realm? Or maybe you want to know how to stop Demon Monarchs from being born? We can provide with all answers." one of the two unknown shadows spoke.
The first two didn't get a reaction out of Freya. However, the third one did.
"That's… possible?" she asked quietly.
"Aha, you have a duty to protect the people so it's understandable to seek an answer to eliminate a threat to humanity. The Demon Kings have been the enemies of your people ever since the continent's founding. We will make sure to hold up our end of the deal as long as you agree. Even Arsnoria is not powerful enough to take us all on. All you must do is submit to us."
Arsnoria. Freya had heard them say this name countless times before. She came to learn from them that the Demon King was actually a female demon named Arsnoria. It was a mystery to her why a female demon was called the "Demon King".
"Heh."
Freya couldn't believe the bullshit she was hearing. She stuck out her middle finger.
"I don't want to give some reject gods a gateway to rule the mortal world under the radar of the human gods. Help me get rid of the Demon King? I'd rather let Arsnoria rule the world than allow you monsters to take it over. She might actually let the humans live under her rule but you bastards will experiment on everyone for your sick and twisted desires."
Freya stood her ground.
Were this the past then she would be prostrating on the ground, begging them to give her all the answers.
But she will never again show such a vulnerable side of herself.
These monsters had always found a way to ruin her life. They couldn't influence her life directly but they can twist destiny somewhat with their magic.
She failed her 7th year at the academy four times due to mental health issues, had an incurable disease that caused unimaginable pain in her mana channels and she was unable to use her magic for two years. Luckily, she was able to cure it completely.
However, their magic was dangerous. It transcended arcane, ancient and whatever other magical derivation existed. She found this out firsthand.
It was frightening what they could do with their power—even though it was limited—in this prison. Their control over destiny was probably nightmarish if they were at full power.
Freya had to suffer all because she didn't give them what they wanted: to rule her vessel(soul and body).
Something she will never forget was how she allowed them—the outer gods who were responsible for all the misery and misfortune she faced—access to her body when she was at her lowest in life.
She couldn't bear the pain and suffering anymore. The dreams she had almost made her lose her sanity and question reality.
Will all of this stop if I comply with their order to take over my body?
She thought naively on a certain night.
She couldn't remember which of the Grandmasters controlled her body. But what she could remember was what it did immediately after gaining access.
--"All kids who misbehave and disobey must be punished, kukuku"
It made her kill her entire family for disobeying the Outer Gods.
It was her punishment.
How she escaped their control was a mystery.
Freya swore from that day onwards that she will kill the Outer Gods on her own.
She won't lay down her title as Archmage until she did.
Even if she can't in this life then she'll find a way to reincarnate into someone else. With her magical capabilities, it's possible to be reborn.
Although she would get a new family, that family would never fill the gap that the one she had before left behind.
Freya heard a cynical laughter coming from one of the outer gods.
It was the outer god who governs the 1st rank of magic.
The 2nd looked amusedly at the 1st.
"What could be so funny? Did you hear a joke?"
"Oh, it is nothing, my dear friend."
"No, no. I am very curious now. Please tell us."
"Hmmm~ May I tell them about what I found out, Lord 17?"
"You may." One of the two shadows nodded.
'What's going on?'
Freya was getting suspicious about the grandmaster's behavior as it kept cackling.
It leaned forward. A smile of white teeth appeared on its otherwise dark face. Its bright blue eyes held pure bliss.
"I. Found. A. New. Vessel.~"
"!!!"
"Guahahaha! Look at her face! She's dumbstruck! Hehehehe, why do you think Lord 17 didn't call you here all this time!?"
"N-No… T-This can't be…"
Freya's smile twitched and her eyes shook. Her throat became dry. Her body trembled so violently that it was becoming difficult to stand properly.
"Oh, but it can!!" the 1st grandmaster stood up and spread its arms, "To think a second vessel would be born while the current one is still alive! This is so rare! No, it's unheard of! We have never seen something so wonderful happen in the thousands of years we've lived in this dimension!"
"Who is it?! How is that possible!? Tell me now, you bastards!!!" Freya's overwhelming mana spread out into the surroundings violently. Were this the outside world then Freya would've destroyed a nation by releasing that much power alone.
Her power suddenly vanished when one of the shadows snapped their fingers.
"Kuh!"
"It is regrettable that we do not have the authority to take away your power outside our own domain, Freya York. It is the power you earned on your own, after all. The human god, Melis also created you so we do not have permission to interfere with your mortal body. But you follow our natural order in this domain. Do not show us what you just did again."
If they tried to take Freya's power by force then they will be discovered by the human gods.
The Outer Gods are a species that didn't exist in the human gods' dimension anymore. They came here thousands of years ago because they wanted to make their power known through every realm. This was before they were imprisoned somewhere in one of the Nine Realms.
The gods knew the grandmasters were held as prisoners here but didn't know that the grandmasters could enter the mortal realm by using Vessels.
Vessels were essentially known as Archmages by humans—special beings possessing extraordinary talent for magic. But to the grandmasters they were mere puppets that could give them the power to rebel against the human gods.
Magic wasn't something the humans created but it was a gift given to the humans of the past by the grandmasters as good gesture thousands of years ago. Magic was what made the empire and the surrounding nations into what they were today.
The gods praised these powerful entities who could help them shape the world into what it was today.
That was how it was at first until the Demon Human War was instigated by them.
The fourth Archmage known as Peulik Hengride, was the founder of the seven magic towers and the first person to attain 17th rank magic. All the others had—like Freya—attained only 15th rank because they didn't want to allow these beings to come into their world.
They knew that wanting too much power wasn't a good idea.
However, Peulik was different. He was a power-hungry man who gave the Grandmasters his vessel in exchange for power.
Though Peulik was able to make many wonderful discoveries and create many spells, humanity almost went extinct due to their arrival in their world.
After discovering their deeds, the gods had somehow responded to the danger at just the right moment.
And thus, the hero was born shortly after the war began. While he slayed the demons, the gods imprisoned the Grandmasters.
If they were allowed into the world again then there was no telling how it might affect the world.
A second vessel appearing was a problem. Their ignorance to these monsters' capabilities was the most dangerous.
Like she told Arnold, two Archmages shouldn't exist at once. It was basically giving the grandmasters two puppets to toy with. This places the current Archmage—who knew their heinous motives—at a dilemma.
The grandmasters would appear in their dreams at first and teach them things to help them grow stronger and finally become the greatest magic users in the world.
However, there came a price.
The vessel would become a slave for these twisted monsters calling themselves gods. They'll slowly manipulate the vessel into giving them access to their souls and bodies.
Freya had suffered at their hands already. She didn't want that to happen again.
If the person they spoke of gave them full control of their vessel then Freya would be stuck between a rock and a hard place.
That person could become Freya's enemy and the key to allowing the grandmasters to ruling the mortal realm and overthrowing the gods by breaking them free of their chains.
Arsnoria and her demon portals would be the last of humanity's problems.
Noticing that Freya had gone silent, the 1st grandmaster spoke:
"Give up on trying to figure out who it is. Kukuku."
"…I'll tell the gods what you're planning to do, I swear it."
"Hahahaha! What? Tell the gods!? And how will you do that? By going to the Oracle? Do you honestly think the gods will hear her!? Then you must not know how divinations work!"
No, Freya knew perfectly how divinations worked.
Angelica only received messages from Melis. These messages were known as divinations or prophecies. She couldn't openly communicate with Melis as she pleased. She also couldn't get into contact with Melis whenever she wanted.
Freya bit her lower lip knowing that her words were just a bluff. What good was such a threat if she had no method of coming into contact with the gods?
"Then I'll just have to find this person on my own and…" Freya muttered as a series of scenes flashed in her head. Her killing her own family, her almost succumbing to her chronic disease, her almost killing herself. The list goes on.
"Kill… them…"
"We might do something drastic if you harm them. Be a good vessel and stay out of this."
The surroundings suddenly changed as the shadows vanished. One would assume one was hallucinating since there was no force pulling you when the scenery changes. It just happened.
Freya's face paled.
"Wait! What will you do with that person!? How far have they gone with their magic!? Tell me! Tell me!!!"
Freya's question didn't receive an answer. Instead, her voice echoed through the ravines in the canyon beneath the cliff she was standing on.
She collapsed on her knees, the sweat sticking her hair to her face. Her breath was short and labored.
"—What happened to you?"
A man's voice came from behind her.
"…Justice…" she raised her head slowly and looked at the man.
"What kind of monster managed to scare you like this? You've been looking over the horizon with a blank expression for a few minutes now. Anyway, I finished taking out the monsters on my side."
There had been a lot of monsters showing up randomly at the outer camps of the border. The monsters weren't from the Intermid since all of them seemed to be from dungeons. This was proven when one of the soldiers found cores inside one of the corpses.
Freya asked Justice to take care of those monsters while she took care of the Intermid monsters.
The Crown Prince and his armies were getting ready for a battle so they didn't have the time to take care of monsters as well. Of course, a question still surfaced: who was this enemy?
There was the Demon King who had means to cross into this world without going through the Intermid.
There were also the enemy nations that were across the Great Ridge and Demihuman Kingdom. Those nations hadn't attacked the empire in decades but it helped to be prepared.
The Intermid Border was also a concern. It was far east from the main camp of the armies with no soldiers patrolling near it. Magic items were placed at certain locations to measure the atmospheric pressure and alert the army if anything goes amiss.
Freya was called urgently by the Crown Prince because he was worried that the monsters would break through the barrier just like it did once in the past. This was considered a level 5 National Threat so Freya had to respond to the distress signal immediately.
Justice was travelling with her—without the Pope's knowledge—so he came with her.
The two had been travelling together ever since she went to the Holy Kingdom.
Freya stood up and spoke to Justice, "Then I guess we're done here. Let's go speak to Julius."
Justice's eyes narrowed seeing how Freya didn't seem like herself but he responded with:
"Sure."
◇West of the Intermid barrier ○ Main Camp, United Front - A stronghold where the three nations' main armies were stationed◇
These three nations stationed at the border were the Eulia Empire, Republic of Zrek, and the Fairy Province. The border was only protected by the first two a decade ago but that changed when the Fairy Millennium became a Great Noble of the empire. The queen of that nation offered an alliance with the empire. Thus, the Three Nation Border came into existence.
Past the walls of the stronghold was a barren wasteland that stretched for miles. The Great Ridge was at the end of that barren land.
Though the Fairy Province's main capital was located across the Great Ridge along with the Demihuman Kingdom, there was no worry of their capital being attacked. This was because the country was protected by dangerous magical beasts and patrolling guards.
Needless to say, the Republic wasn't in danger of being invaded by enemy nations either. This was due to the fact that it had a Dragon Lord as one of its rulers on the council. The Dragon Lord Alliance was supporting the nation by providing their wisdom and minerals. They had ample protection even without their army.
"Thank you for your help, Madam Freya."
A young man in his late twenties bowed to Freya.
He had blonde hair and similar colored eyes. He wore a military uniform that had a lot of medals at the front. The tassels on his shoulders were white which was the signature look for the Supreme Commander ruling over the Three Nation Border which consisted of three of the military powers of the continent.
"Don't worry about it," Freya waved her hand casually, "You probably already know who this is, right Julius?" she said while pointing at Justice.
"Indeed. No one other than the strongest swordsman on the continent uses six dragonsteel swords at once. I'm going to be honest, Madam Freya and Lord Justice…" Julius looked across his camp with a wry smile, "…the morale in all three of our armies was very low. We had to worry about other nations while we had monsters at our backs. Seeing two of our continent's strongest fighters come aid us changed that. May I ask why you are travelling with Madam Freya?"
"I was the one who asked him to come with me." Freya said before Justice could speak.
"Why is that? Is there a great danger looming that requires both of your attention? Could it be what happened in the empire?"
"The adventurers were able to handle it so our intervention wasn't necessary there. I asked Justice to come with me for a different reason."
"If it isn't a threat then what is it?"
Justice looked at Freya with an expression asking her if she really wanted to tell the Crown Prince.
"I'm going to assemble a group of talented and strong individuals who can help us fight against the Demon Lords and the Demon King. The demon portals that have been showing up are hinting at something. The worst case is the arrival of the Demon King in this world."
"…." Julius gave her a silent stare. He then glanced around their vicinity, probably to see if anyone was within earshot distance. Luckily there wasn't a lot of coverage for spies to hide. The camp was also far from the hill they were standing on.
"So what I heard was true. The demons are going to attack us any day now. The fact that low-level demons are appearing everywhere wreaking havoc around the continent is true. What is the Demon King thinking? Is he thinking about crossing worlds this time as well? Unlike before, we don't have anyone to stop him from doing that."
"So you heard about that too?"
"Yes, I try to stay updated about what occurs in the empire."
"I see."
Silence descended upon them.
Julius licked his lips before asking, "Have you found someone else to join this hero party besides Lord Justice?"
"No. I'm still looking."
'Let's not tell him that I'm thinking of asking Arnold von Berkley to join.'
The person himself didn't even know so she didn't have to tell the whole world. She wanted to see what kind of factor he'll grow up to be. His demon lord powers weren't mature yet which means his seed hadn't bloomed fully. There was no telling if he'll be able to control his power once it finally blooms.
"I see. It's understandable since there aren't that many people who can compare to you two in terms of power."
"We're not just looking for people as strong as us, but those who show potential as well. I considered the amount of people we could ask, like Lancelot, The Seraphim, Mountain of God, the great nobles… However, all of them have important duties. This is why it's better to look for fresh talent."
"I see. Then may I offer a suggestion?" Julius asked with a smile, "I think my sister on my mother's side will be a great asset to your warplans against the Demon Army, her expertise lay in warfare, after all."
"Isn't princess Ronia your enemy? Why recommend her to us?" Freya looked at him confused.
"Ah, no I'm not talking about Ronia. I'm talking about my youngest sister from my mother's side."
"Princess… Olivia?"
"Yes."
"Your Highness, please stop with the jokes," Justice said with a sigh.
"I-I'm not! I swear!" Julius said in a fluster, "Please just give her a chance. At least interview her or give her a test. That's how you can find out how capable the people are that you choose, right?"
"Hmm…" Freya rubbed her chin.
'True, it will be better to interview potential members instead of picking them randomly.'
She had been doing that all along. Justice was an exception since he chose to join on his own. She had a list of people she still had to ask.
"I'll have to speak with your father about it when I get back. For now I'll continue going through the names in my notebook."
Julius looked disappointed, "I see. But please keep my sister in mind when deciding who to choose."
"Will do. I think we've handled all the monsters in the area. What do you think, Justice?"
"There are some stragglers from that monster wave but I'm sure no one in this army will have a hard time eliminating them."
"Once again, thank you for your help."
A prince normally wouldn't bow to others except when they were higher in rank—like a duke or a king.
Freya and Justice had more important statuses so they deserved respect. It didn't matter who you were.
"I'm just doing my duty. No one besides me can do it anyway. We should go now," said Freya as a giant magic circle manifested underneath her and Justice, "Call me again if you notice any strange occurrences at the barrier."
"I will. Thank you for always being there for us, Archmage Freya." Julius bowed his head.
'Stop with the bowing already…'
But his words and actions seemed genuine so Freya wasn't that annoyed by his repetitiveness.
"No problem. See ya." Freya gave a thumbs up.
The magic circle instantly swallowed up Freya and Justice and teleported them away.