Obtaining Important Information

A few days passed, and I received word from the government that the American black mage delegation had arrived earlier than scheduled.

I did not know the reason, but in any case, thanks to their early arrival, the country had also dispatched personnel in haste and was escorting them to Seoul with proper protocol.

I wondered if this was something the government needed to step forward for on purpose, but America’s national power had suffered extremely little damage during the Daegyeokbyeon, allowing it to preserve most of its strength, and based on its vast land, it had entered a boom period in various Gate-related byproduct industries and achieved tremendous growth.

Even so, America was a country with the ironic aspect that there were only a few Awakeners who could be considered to have reached the pinnacle.

Some people said that America’s development of Awakeners had perhaps been slow because of gunsmiths and gunslingers, but thinking about it, it was clear that at least in that field, their level could not be matched anywhere in the world, so they could never be ignored.

In any case, the pinnacle of the black mages who had formed a group within such a collective and become one axis of power had come here, so it was only natural for attention to be drawn to them.

“They say they’ll arrive soon.”

We were scheduled to greet them at the entrance of the Black Magic Academy.

In fact, even Jeong Gil-sun and Cheon Jong-un had come and were present, so I quietly spoke to Han Sang-gil, wondering whether six master-class black mages really needed to come out to greet them.

“Either way, I heard their purpose was that they wanted to meet me, so is there a need for everyone to come out?”

“It’s to make an impression. An impression that we treated them this well. That way, when we demand something or they demand something, we can seize the upper hand. And… making the superiority in strength clear is also a good method.”

“Do they have few masters?”

“That is not the case. In a way, if we only compare the number of masters, they are at a similar level to us. But we have you, don’t we?”

“That’s right. They don’t know just how incredible an 8th Circle black mage is, so would it not be one way to show them?”

At Jeong Gil-sun’s support fire, Han Sang-gil looked as though he was wondering what had gotten into him.

“What, am I not allowed to say the right thing?!”

“You two are fighting again. You’re so young.”

At Baek Da-gyeong’s single remark, the two old men fell silent.

It felt like Cheon Jong-un had also been about to say something, but because Baek Da-gyeong had beaten him to it, he fell silent. Seeing that situation, I said,

“It seems like my realization will be organized soon, so let’s share it among our country’s masters first.”

“Jackpot, you mean that resonance, right?”

When I nodded at Baek Da-gyeong’s question, Han Sang-gil expressed concern.

“It is too tremendous a power. It will not be a power that can be handled easily. You must be cautious about revealing it.”

“I am of the same opinion as this old man. It would be troublesome if, after teaching that, only the wrong people became stronger.”

“That is why I am saying we should share it among ourselves first. We can simply make it something that is not passed down to outsiders, can’t we?”

“Even so, you must be cautious. This is a world where it would not be strange no matter what variable appeared. At the very least, with the Church of Ruin having become our enemy, what will you do if brainwashing is carried out through something like a divine spell?”

They were not people who would fall to something of that level, but since everyone had agreed that we should be cautious, I ultimately could not act according to my stubbornness alone.

Amid everyone advising me to be cautious like that, vehicles began entering the Academy grounds, and Han Sang-gil stepped forward as he saw foreigners with a familiar atmosphere getting out separately from several protocol vehicles.

“We welcome you to the Korean Black Magic Academy.”

At that, a foreigner who approached warmly and extended his hand while leaving the government personnel behind came into view.

He looked quite young, around his early to mid-thirties, and I thought that this person was likely Eiden Smith, who was said to lead America’s Black Mage Association.

‘Did they say he was cousins with Ben Smith?’

While thinking that they were a family with truly incredible genes, I was just beginning to speculate that the reason he had come here might perhaps be a matter related to the Sea Sun Brigade.

“I am Eiden Smith. I am simply amazed that the people I have truly wished so badly to meet are all gathered in one place. And this person here is Ruth Bones, one of the pillars of our association and the Black Tower Master.”

Eiden Smith briefly introduced each of them like that, and Han Sang-gil looked back at us and explained who everyone was. But I found it strange that the gazes of several foreigners standing behind the two were directed at me, and just then, after receiving Han Sang-gil’s introduction, Eiden Smith asked me a question.

“So I get to meet the greatest black mage in the world like this. It is an honor.”

His tone and behavior were not servile, and as I watched the hand naturally extended toward me, I also offered a handshake without thinking much of it.

In that instant, an enormous amount of mana began to burst out and take control of the surroundings.

Seeing Eiden Smith’s expression, which immediately made it clear what he wanted, I lightly used resonance in the gaps between the mana Eiden Smith had generated and severed his will. The mana instantly lost its remaining power and scattered.

“This is astonishing…. I was rude. I had no choice but to commit this discourtesy because I needed to know your ability.”

Seeing Eiden Smith immediately bow his head in the Korean manner and apologize, I could tell that he had come after preparing a great deal.

And when he began introducing his own party members who were standing behind him as well, everyone had no choice but to be surprised, because every single one of them was a master-class black mage.

There were now twelve master-class black mages gathered in this place alone. Eiden Smith subtly mentioned that there was something he wished to discuss inside, and after answering that we understood, we moved to the prepared event hall.

As we did, Ruth Bones, who stood beside me, asked a question.

“Was the method you used just now to take away control of mana magic?”

“I caused mana to arise between mana and mana. That is how I severed the connection. You can think of it as similar to Dispel.”

Ruth Bones looked astonished, and his eyes lit up as he began asking several questions. As I answered them appropriately, even the masters around us nodded, making me let out a hollow laugh.

“What is the matter?”

It was Ruth Bones’s question, as if he found it strange, and the other masters also looked curious. Looking at them, I said,

“You looked like graduate students following a professor around.”

Unlike the Korean masters, whose expressions crumpled at those words, the American masters nodded as if they acknowledged it.

That difference in temperature made me wonder if this was right, but in any case, the atmosphere itself continued after shedding its awkwardness, and as a result, by the time we arrived at the event hall, everyone was able to sit facing one another with a much more relaxed feeling.

In the meantime, the government also dispatched a representative in haste, and Bak Young-min came as the presidential aide.

“It’s been a while?”

Bak Young-min, who received my question, answered calmly.

“I am bewildered that someone I do not wish to see often is treating me so familiarly.”

“Being honest is also an ability, but being difficult with people is also a talent.”

“I am a person lacking in talent. Please keep your business brief.”

It was not that I could not understand his sharp behavior.

Bak Young-min was one of the people who followed Kim Dae-san. He believed in and followed every single thing about Kim Dae-san, from his intentions and actions to his choices. In a way, he was someone for whom Kim Dae-san should be called a religion. Since the relationship between Kim Dae-san and me was not very good, perhaps this could also be considered natural, but it was excessive.

‘His reactions are funny, so I want to tease him a little more, but if I do that, he’ll explode.’

Even now, with everyone’s gazes focused on him, Bak Young-min was embarrassed, his face even turning red.

“Now, since we are seated facing one another for now, let us hear your reason for coming here.”

I lightly tapped the table and produced resonance, sending out waves through mana.

It looked like a simple action, but I expected everyone present here to know how absurd this method was.

“The more I see, the more I can say nothing but that it is astonishing.”

Eiden Smith expressed his admiration. Then, when he nodded to a black mage beside him who seemed to be an aide, the aide took something out from Sub-space. Since it looked quite familiar, I quietly searched my memory.

‘Is it the bead that was at the place where Saturn died?’

“Did you hunt Beral?”

“No. We have been at war with the Church of Ruin for a long time. It has already been six years.”

“That sounds to me like you have caught an apostle before. Am I correct?”

At those words, he nodded obediently.

“Beral calls himself the first apostle, but currently, three apostles are active. They claim to be the Saintess or Saint of the Calamity God, but all of them are apostles. The identity of the true Saintess has not yet been revealed.”

Soon, he took out something new, and it was a Magic Stone.

‘So it is an object with records stored in it.’

And as if my prediction was correct, several videos and photographs appeared in the air.

“This is Bellina Crom, whom we currently suspect to be the first Saintess.”

She was a woman I had never seen before.

“She is a person described as the mastermind, and one of the people we are tracking by seeking cooperation from the Sea Sun Brigade.”

“It seems the Sea Sun Brigade has clashed with the Church of Ruin before?”

“Bellina Crom is… a traitor.”

I could roughly guess what the circumstances were.

She had belonged to the Sea Sun Brigade, and now she was the Saintess of the Calamity God. That must have been why they were tracking her.

Because Eiden Smith was cousins with Ben Smith, I thought that perhaps Eiden Smith before my eyes might also be a member of the Sea Sun Brigade.

His movements felt natural enough for that to be the case, and afterward came the introduction of two more people.

“Trinity Abel. She is the woman we suspect to be the second Saintess. She is called the Saintess of Benevolence and has drawn the attention of many people, but it was revealed that she did not serve any otherworldly god. However, considering that she used Chantra, it means she serves a god that has not yet been revealed, and in that situation, the only such god was the Calamity God.”

“So it is simply an assumption?”

Eiden Smith nodded at my words.

Lastly, the third was a man.

“This person is the same. He is an ordinary man named Clark Hunt, but although he possesses an absurd level of Chantra ability, no divinity of any god can be felt from him. In addition, many otherworldly orders have already finished proving that it is not their power.”

It meant that only the first person was certain, and the remaining two were suspects.

Since information had been revealed, I also revealed the appearance of Jo Yun-hui, whom I had previously faced in the magic laboratory.

At that, Eiden Smith looked puzzled, but when I continued speaking, he looked shocked and could not continue his words.

“She is the Saintess of the Calamity God active in Korea. She herself said she was the Saintess of the Calamity God. Furthermore, she possessed enough ability to eliminate three 8th Circle mages before I could even properly sense it.”

It was a truth that could only become controversial, but the government had announced the secret laboratory incident as an accident during an experiment.

In any case, this could be called the first public disclosure in this place, so it was understandable that everyone was surprised.