[Chapter 20]
Karnak scratched his head irritably.
"Ah, come to think of it, there were clues."
The spiritual energy that had become Astra Shunaph was so vast that he couldn't even properly possess a body. Just inserting a single finger would make the target explode.
Karnak believed this phenomenon occurred because the soul wasn't properly separated from the body.
Even when he tried to transfer his soul into another body, the spiritual energy involved in the process was too overwhelming for the subject to withstand.
That was why he had even created the time-reversal magic.
With simple possession, the soul couldn't be cleanly extracted. The soul and body had been intertwined for so long that there was no clear indicator to distinguish them.
"But this body is me, myself. Since I'm returning to the original soul and body that were once one, the essence itself serves as the marker, allowing for a clean separation."
In fact, up to this point, it had been a success.
His soul had discarded all necromantic power and settled perfectly into the present body, becoming a complete human.
"So, I thought the remaining realm of Astra Shunaph was just abandoned in that timeline…"
The problem was that he hadn't considered that if the soul itself was too immense, it could also fail at possession.
What if Karnak's necromantic power had returned to this era along with his soul?
Even so, his soul would still separate from the necromantic power and inhabit the body of this era. The result wouldn't be different.
"But in this case, the sequence has reversed."
Instead of separating and then reversing time, he reversed time first and then separated.
The realm of Astra Shunaph, the power of the Necromancer King, existed in the present, not the future.
"It seems that thing has now spread across the world as the Doom of Darkness, right?"
Varos blinked.
The explanation was a bit complicated, but having served by Karnak's side for so many years, he understood the situation.
Even so, it wasn't easy to accept.
"…So, because of the power you discarded, the world is on the brink of destruction?"
"Probably?"
"But no matter how powerful you are, sir, it's not like the world would tremble with fear as if it were about to end just because the seven orders united…"
Varos trailed off, closing his mouth.
It was Karnak who had brought about the downfall of those Seven Goddesses' Churches.
"Still, there are many powerful empires and kingdoms in the world…"
"We destroyed all those empires and kingdoms."
"There are still the dragonkin, the fae… and the Four Martial Kings, as well as the three Grand Mages…"
"Didn't you kill them all, turn them into undead, and make them your subordinates?"
But that wasn't all.
In the end, even the seven goddesses lost their influence over the world.
The power of the Necromancer King had spread across the entire world, preventing the goddesses' blessings from reaching it.
"Come to think of it, it really was you who destroyed the world, wasn't it?"
For Karnak, it was a conquest, but for the living, it was no different from an apocalypse.
And now, they were the ones on the receiving end of it?
"Wait a moment."
Still unable to fully accept it, Varos raised an objection.
"Back then, you were able to conquer the world because you could control that power, right?"
Now, only the power remains, scattered in all directions.
"It's not even concentrated in one place. Do you think we still can't handle it?"
Even if someone were to gather part of that power and become another Necromancer King, they would surely be weaker than the real Karnak.
"Yeah, you're right."
Karnak nodded.
"But, Varos."
"Yes?"
"When did I conquer the world? More precisely, how many years after becoming Astra Shunaph did I conquer the world?"
"Well, the last battle was when you defeated the Dragon Emperor, so…"
Varos calculated roughly and continued.
"It was about three years after you became Astra Shunaph."
"Right?"
Karnak chuckled in disbelief.
"And how many years passed before we performed the time-reversal?"
"About 70 years… Gah!"
It was only then that Varos grasped the severity of the situation.
Karnak had conquered the world and become the Necromancer King in his early fifties.
And they had returned to this era when he was around 120 years old.
That meant he was nearly seventy years stronger than when he had brought the world to ruin!
"I'm at least five or six times stronger now than I was during the world conquest."
Varos turned pale.
"My God…"
Imagining it, the power was truly terrifying.
It was enough to make the seven goddesses, who protect the world, simultaneously issue a prophecy declaring the end of times.
Varos, now ashen-faced, urgently asked another question.
"Is there really no possibility that you're not the culprit?"
Facing that terrifying version of Karnak from his Necromancer King days was a hundred times worse than some mysterious demon lord invading from another realm.
"That's right! You mentioned the timeline didn't match up, didn't you?"
Thinking it through, something seemed off.
Karnak and Varos had performed the time-reversal about a year ago.
However, the Doom of Darkness had already been scattered across the world long before that time.
Moreover, according to the announcements made by the church, it wasn't even fully dispersed yet.
It was steadily invading this world across time and space, bit by bit.
"The timeline doesn't add up! There's no way you could be the culprit, young master!"
"I don't understand that part either."
Despite this, there was undeniable evidence.
"You know that Doom of Darkness we got from Fred? Its attributes match mine 100% perfectly."
This was why Karnak hadn't been suspected at all in the Randolph or Fred incidents.
No matter how much of his own energy Karnak left behind, the church only saw it as the Doom of Darkness.
So, there was no reason for suspicion to fall on him. The Doom of Darkness was already being spread across the continent.
"There's no doubt about it. This is my power. The only thing I don't know is how it ended up like this."
"If it's your power… can't you just take it back now?"
Karnak shot a sharp look at his still-hopeful servant and retorted.
"Do you think that makes any sense?"
Imagine a wealthy man one day brings a bag of gold coins and throws them all over the town square.
And then he shouts, 'Gold coins, return to me!'
Would the scattered gold coins fly back to the wealthy man's bag on their own, or would the passersby pick them all up and take them home, feeling like they hit the jackpot?
Once it was thrown away, Karnak had already lost control over it.
"I can't just ignore it anymore, not now."
The situation had grown too big to be dismissed as he had done in the past.
A madman had grown too powerful.
And that madman was Karnak himself.
To trust in humanity's strength, to believe in the world's resilience, and ignore it? He was the very one who had crushed both humanity and the world.
"I can't trust that! How am I supposed to trust it!"
As Karnak ranted, Varos tried to calm him down and asked.
"Then, what do we do now?"
Karnak, having regained his composure, spoke seriously.
"First, we need to gather information."
At this point, they knew too little.
You can't form a plan until you have a clear understanding of the situation.
"Like how you absorbed necromantic power from that guy last time?"
"Yeah. I need to check the state of the necromantic power that separated from me. Last time, the amount was so small that it barely provided any useful information."
The Doom of Darkness absorbed from Fred had been too insignificant.
Compared to Karnak's original power, it was just a crumb, like taking a single bucket of water from an ocean, so it offered almost no information at all.
"We need to gather more data."
"So, you're saying we have to go around collecting the Doom of Darkness now?"
"That's right."
"And that also means saying goodbye to the easy life we've been enjoying in the estate for a while?"
"…That's right."
The two men looked at each other and let out a deep sigh.
For those who thought they had nothing left to do but enjoy life as humans, it was truly a harsh fate.
Karnak lamented.
"Ah, I really wanted to live quietly this time, but the world just won't leave me alone!"
Varos retorted.
"What does the world have to do with it? You brought this upon yourself, young master."
"Well, that's true, but still…"
"Blaming the world before even considering your own actions—yep, that's our young master, alright."
"Oh, shut up, will you."
***
The next morning, Karnak summoned the vassals of the family.
"It looks like I'll be away for about three months."
He had already come up with a plausible excuse.
He had been diligently studying magic through Dallas' grimoire, but self-study had its limits. Therefore, he either needed to invite a high-ranking mage for further guidance or personally visit a mage guild to seek instruction.
However, at his current level, hiring a high-ranking mage who could actually help would cost a lot of money.
No matter how prosperous the estate had become, as a lord, he couldn't just spend money recklessly.
"So, I'll go directly to the capital to gain magical knowledge and wisdom. Varos alone will be sufficient as my escort."
The old butler strongly supported this decision.
"That is indeed a very wise choice."
The Zestrad estate was running smoothly without any major issues. The lord being absent for three months wouldn't cause any significant problems.
And this wasn't the first time Karnak had left for an extended period—he had previously been away for several months during the Duel Trial. Since it was something he'd done before, there was no reason for anyone to find it strange that he would do it again.
Of course, back then, everyone had opposed it.
Not because of the absence itself, but because it was considered too dangerous for Karnak, who had no combat skills, to leave the estate with only a single attendant. Despite their objections, Karnak had insisted, and they had reluctantly agreed.
But now?
Karnak had grown stronger as a mage, and Varos had become the strongest knight in Zestrad, so there wasn't much to worry about.
Moreover, the old butler had another reason for his enthusiastic support.
"Broadening your horizons by seeing the world is indeed a privilege of youth! It will be a truly valuable experience for you!"
It seemed the old butler thought Karnak wanted to go on a journey out of youthful curiosity.
'No, I've had more than enough of those experiences already…'
Still, it was fortunate that they misunderstood.
None of the other vassals objected either.
"Please travel with peace of mind. We will safeguard the estate in your absence."
"We eagerly await your return, hoping that you will have grown even more."
The old butler, speaking on behalf of everyone, bowed respectfully.
"May the blessings of the Seven Goddesses be with you, my lord."
From Karnak's perspective, that was a statement he could hardly smile at.
'Those goddesses conspired and issued prophecies to bring me down. Like they'd ever bless me.'
After finishing the handover of estate management duties for his absence, he returned to his room.
When he entered, Varos was busy packing their belongings.
His expression wasn't great. The thought of leaving behind a comfortable life and wandering the world again didn't sit well with him.
"Sigh, I never thought the day would come when I'd have to pack these bags again."
"The situation is better than before."
Trying to cheer him up, Karnak held up a pouch of money.
"We have plenty of money now. We even have gold coins, right?"
Varos's expression brightened.
"Oh, so we can eat the finest delicacies from each region while traveling? And sleep soundly in the most luxurious inns?"
"Of course. We're not being chased anymore, are we?"
Back when they used to roam the world, they had to constantly hide and lurk in alleyways. With a past full of sins, even having money didn't mean they could freely reveal their identities.
On top of that, they had to constantly be on guard against the pursuit of the Church of the Seven Goddesses, so they never had a good night's sleep.
"Just thinking about those times when we were on the run made me frown, but things are different now."
It seemed there was nothing wrong with treating this as a young, nouveau-riche noble's grand tour of the continent.
"If we're going to go through hardships, might as well enjoy them, right?"
"That's true."
With his packing complete, Varos slung the backpack over his shoulder and asked.
"So where are we headed? We're not really going to the capital, are we?"
"To Derat City. That's where that Fred guy first obtained his power, so there should be some clues there."