Rundis was staring blankly at what was happening in the cabin. The inside of the cabin could be clearly seen through the half-open door, as if there was no intention of hiding it.

“Miss Rundis? What are you doing here?”

“Shh! This is an important scene!”

“…That is?”

Oswald turned his gaze towards the cabin with a bizarre expression.

They saw Ivan, covered in blood and strange drugs, approaching Chesterhold, who was on his knees.

-Do you think Kalion will let you live after this, huh?!

Chesterhold screamed desperately. Watching this, Oswald shrugged his shoulders.

“Looks like Mr. Ivan is doing what he does best. It’s probably not a pleasant sight for you, Miss Rundis.”

“Mr. Oswald, do you know how to torture an elf by any chance?”

“…What?”

Oswald stared at Rundis in shock. Rundis’s face was hidden in the shadows of the dark forecastle.

“They have strong resistance to drugs, are hard to be affected by mental spells, and can even endure pain well. Especially because they are long-lived.”

“Uh… Yes?”

“That’s why our elders don’t torture elves. They killed each one they caught….”

Right, she’s a dwarf. Only then did Oswald recall the identity of this short kid.

Except for her small size—and the disproportionately enlarged certain parts—dwarf women only seemed like unusual human beings.

But the true worth of this race isn’t their appearance. In the last war, the dwarfs sided with the demons, and their main frontlines focused on ambushes, bombing specific facilities, assassinations, and kidnappings.

Selling military supplies through their immense technological power was only part of it. The dwarfs at the forefront were known to have been the worst intelligence unit led by the demons—and it was just a little over four years ago. While it was unclear exactly how old Rundis was, if she had learned anything from the war four years ago, it would be—

“A picture-perfect… embodiment of a legendary dwarf….”

Rundis murmured blankly. Oswald suddenly looked down at his arm. Goosebumps were rising.

-Aaaah— Uuuggh—!!

Screams continued to echo inside the cabin.

-Spill it, say something—anything—!!

The only voice coming from the cabin was Chesterhold’s desperate screams. From start to finish, Ivan hadn’t said a single word.

-I do not ask questions.

-Wh—what?!

-You must answer.

Ivan’s low voice was chilling.

-This will help you with your answer.

-Drugs? Ha! I am the chief chairman of the Alchemy Society! You think mere drugs can—!!

-Quiet. This is a healing potion.

-What nonsense! Healing potions aren’t that color—!!

A scream echoed again. Oswald could no longer bear it and left. The last thing he saw was Rundis’ back, excitedly gazing around the cabin.

In the one-eyed village, people with two eyes are considered disabled.

Oswald left for the deck, lonely in profound solitude. The fishy smell of the sea was better than the smell of blood.

Why is the sky so blue today?

*

About two hours later, Ivan convened everyone in the cabin. He was cleaning equipment that looked like a bloodstained axe and peculiar surgical (or barber) tools.

In one corner of the cabin, there sat Baron Chesterhold, staring blankly at the ceiling with glazed eyes.

Aside from his disheveled clothes, there appeared to be no signs of external injuries. It seemed as if he had been struck by a powerful mental spell, but no trace of magic remained.

“Uh, Baron?”

“Yes, Mom?”

Edel cautiously spoke, nodding at the baron’s reply and then taking a seat. The group watched this scene and turned their gaze back to Ivan without a word.

Ivan sat down without a change in his expression.

“Everyone is here.”

“I’m not curious about what you did to that elf, but is it okay to ask about the current situation…?”

“Hmm?”

“If it’s a severe degenerative condition, honestly it won’t be much help.”

“Don’t worry about that. It’s only temporary.”

At these words, Oswald broke into a cold sweat and stared at the elf. Baron Chesterhold was smiling brightly at the ceiling.

“Butterfly. Hehe.”

“So did you find anything out?”

“The conflict between the Alchemical and Necromantic factions is real. Baron Ashcliff was indeed affected by the Necromantic faction and had sealed and barricaded the research building.”

“What?! Then—”

“Right. The large number of forces outside, the refusal to allow outsiders to dock, and why Baron Chesterhold was out alone, those were the reasons.”

Lucia raised her hand and spoke.

“Does that mean we’re going to raid the Necromantic faction now? Even from the name, it sounds suspicious… Necromancy, dealing with corpses and all that?”

“It’s a pejorative term.”

“Excuse me?”

“Necromancer is a pejorative term. They are generally called the Life Magic faction.”

At Ivan’s words, Lucia tilted her head. The name has nothing to do with it, so why are life magic practitioners called necromancers…?

Elpheira answered her curiosity.

“The magic color is black.”

“What. Just because of that?”

“Also, they use magic by depriving others of their lives.”

The life magic was created to replicate healing and miracles without the aid of divine power. Because spells are cast using the life force of creatures as a base resource, they sometimes tear out a creature’s soul to use as material for a spell.

The problem is…

“They’ve traditionally not gotten along well with the Alchemy Faction. Healing, miracles, anything can be replicated with alchemy.”

During the war, there was an abundance of souls. The dying could be found anywhere, and it was easy to extract their life force to cast spells.

But such practices couldn’t be continued after peace was established. The vast trade routes that opened erased the chronic ‘material procurement’ issue of the Alchemy Faction.

The balance between the Alchemy Faction and the Life Magic Faction was broken just after the war. Alchemists accused the life magicians of being black magicians and attacked them—

“So they supposedly cursed Baron Ashcliff in a way that even alchemy couldn’t heal. The Life Magic Faction is now paying colossal damages for that incident and has been sealed.”

“Then these people were truly innocent…?”

Oswald looked at Baron Chesterhold in horror. Chesterhold was drawing in the air, drooling slightly.

Once this situation gets reported to the central government, punishment is unavoidable. It’s not just a case of collateral damage from inter-faction conflict, but a situation where innocent companies were boarded by stowaways and their key personnel assassinated, kidnapped, and tortured!

The elves would face punishment. Most likely, it would end with monetary compensation. Since they are the daughter of Veolgrin, the daughter of the Privy Council Chairman, and the Lord of the Black Tower.

But the humans…? All the humans here belong to Krasilov. Can war be avoided? Isn’t it grounds for a declaration of war?

Because at this point, they’ve kidnapped and tortured a high-ranking political opponent without prior notice.

“No, they are not innocent.”

Ivan shook his head. He placed his axe lightly on Baron Chesterhold’s thigh.

“Dad?”

“Yes.”

Chesterhold gazed warmly at Ivan.

“Elpheira.”

“Yes?”

“Do you know why Kalion has mild weather all year round?”

“That’s because of the climate control spells… Why?”

“What is needed to manipulate the weather across the vast ocean area, including the numerous islands of Kalion numbering over twenty?”

“Spells installed by the distant ancestors. Powerful magic cores— they call them milestones— embedded throughout this land with magic arrays…”

“Do you know the structure?”

“The structure of the climate-control magic circle? I know it, but it’s not easy to understand.”

“No, not that.”

The structure and operation principle of the milestones.

At Ivan’s words, Elpheira nodded reluctantly.

“By drawing in and purifying the sea’s magic, we transfer it to the magic circle. It’s not that complicated, despite its scale, right?”

“Correct. We gather the magic from within the sea.”

Ivan motioned towards Lucia with his chin and asked,

“Lucia, explain what we saw in there.”

“Deep-sea leeches? You said they were parasites-level monsters.”

“Right, and?”

“Wouldn’t it have been difficult to gather so many…?”

“Correct.”

Ivan now looked around at the entire group and said,

“Basically, deep-sea leeches are difficult monsters to capture. They live in the deep sea and are not very plentiful. Furthermore, near Kalion, it’s almost impossible. Do you know why?”

“Because the magic density in Kalion’s deep sea is too low for monsters to appear— oh…?”

“Right. So the monsters in that research building were either brought from other regions or.”

“Or, or….”

Elpheira looked at Baron Chesterhold with a shocked expression.

“You turned off the Milestone?!!”

“Yes, mother!”

Baron Chesterhold nodded with a bright smile.

“That… that is a crime that could lead to execution without trial… No, more importantly! Why? If that’s turned off—.”

As previously reflected, Kalion’s atmosphere is the most suitable environment for elves to live in.

A high concentration of ambient magic, always clear and clean air, temperate climatic conditions throughout the year, and perfect humidity control.

Rain falls where the land needs it. Warm and moist. The moisture drawn from the sea contains all sorts of nutrients.

The clear rivers are always potable, and the soil is so rich that it guarantees excellent crops at all times.

It’s a paradise. The development of elves attributes to this paradise.

All of this is a heritage accomplished in ancient mythological times. A great blessing created by the ancestors. So powerful it might as well be called a gift from the gods.

Turning off one of its pillars means abandoning those gifts. No matter how good an experiment might be, why do such a thing? For what reason?

“Even with one turned off, it still functions. It’s not such a simple spell. It would work for centuries even if more than half of them stopped. That’s how perfect and powerful the spell is…. But.”

“Yes.”

Ivan nodded as he looked into Elpheira’s frightened eyes.

The ‘seed of destruction’ lurking in Kalion, which the quest did not warn about.

A crisis that would come only after several centuries. Naturally, it is right for the quest not to warn immediately.

What kind of event would have to occur to bring down this powerful and vast civilization? The invasion by demons alone is not enough. In the seas, elves are invincible.

Civil war? Probably not. For elves, civil wars are merely hobby activities, and their blades against each other never escalate to deadly levels.

Elves are extremely rational beings. They already know that squeezing their opponents brings more profit than killing them. Therefore, their civil war cannot lead to the extinction of their race.

So, it’s not a civil war or an external invasion.

“Just me alone…”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, no. It’s just a saying.”

Oswald was startled and looked up. Isn’t there a famous saying on Earth? A saying always used by environmental activists to explain the cause of environmental disasters.

Just me alone.

If such thinking is harbored by all Elven corporations… No. If the Elven magical societies are harboring it secretly.

What came into their eyes was a powerful magical artifact passed down from ancient times. Capable of supplying magic power without issue even to a massive magic circle spanning across islands.

A source that, even if used immediately, would not affect the grand magic of climate manipulation, yet at the same time, would provide his society with ‘permanent and infinite magic power.’

Ivan nodded at Elpheira.

“That’s the seed of doom we face this time.”

“We need to meet with Her Majesty the Queen.”

The only faction in this country that does not use magic. Edel, the master of sword raised her head solemnly with her one remaining eye.

“The management and oversight of Milestone was the royal family’s duty. We need to find out what’s happening in this country.”

“My father too! Unless my father is turning a blind eye, dare they do such a thing—, no, could it be…?”

Elpheira covered her mouth in shock at the words she had uttered without thinking.

“Yes.”

Ivan agreed.

Who could dare act like this without the tacit approval of Veolgrin? Not just one or two, but enough societies to influence the grand magic.

If someone were committing such acts, the Elven nature would surely lead to a report. It would be an easy way to eliminate a competitor.

However, if everyone is acting this way, the Elves would remain silent. Reporting could lead to an investigation turning on them, making survival impossible.

Hence, the fact that everyone is keeping silent about this situation implies that.

‘Almost all Elves are tampering with the Milestone.’

Without knowing the extent of its scope themselves. Believing that no one else has reported it yet. Thus, turning a blind eye to the deviations of a few ‘knowing Elves,’ thinking ‘just us alone.’

This scale of operation could never be possible without the negligence of Beolgreen.

They needed to meet the Elven Queen and then meet Beolgreen immediately.

“The Astronomical Society is on the same island as the Eternal Palace. Let’s go right away.”

With a stern face, Elpheira stood up from her seat.