NOVEL NEXT Chapter 160.2
Chapter 160.2. Current State Analysis
At the same time, at another stronghold.
Guided by the soldiers who had shielded them earlier, they fled to a room in the stronghold.
“Now then, let’s summarize what we learned from that skirmish.”
Perhaps out of gratitude for saving their lives. After revealing their identity and position, they were allowed into the stronghold without suspicion by deferential soldiers and were lent a fairly spacious room. While waiting for the lord to arrive, under the watchful eyes of the Third Princess faction,
Hermes began to speak.
“I debated where to start… but first, I’ll share the most probable and urgent matter, even if it isn’t fully confirmed yet.”
Katia, Sara, Albert, Jurgen, and Liliana.
Receiving their gazes, he took a breath.
“Archbishop Johann. He possesses… a Bloodline Magic of ‘mind control’.”
Everyone’s shock was evident.
“…Are you certain?”
“At least, from the information we obtained, it’s the only plausible explanation. Let me explain step by step—”
The feeling of unease started during the confrontation with Lucius.
Though the battle was brief, Hermes understood his personality and nature well. He was the type who, like a true warrior, held steadfast values cultivated over time—upright and just.
In other words, the kind of person least likely to be ‘blindly devout’.
Yet, when it came to the Star God faith, he exhibited a clear air of thoughtlessness. That was the source of the unease Hermes felt while fighting.
Focusing on Lucius, Hermes became certain of an unusual magical presence within him. Analyzing its quality revealed it to be identical to the magic emanating from Archbishop Johann during their encounter. Considering this… the conclusion was most plausible.
“In summary, Archbishop Johann’s Bloodline Magic is mind control—at the very least, it involves manipulating thought. And Lucius is… affected by it?”
“Yes.”
“…I see. That makes sense. Lucius’s behavior, and even Nina’s actions…”
As Jurgen summarized, Hermes nodded, and Katia voiced her agreement.
“In other words, Nina is… effectively in a hostage situation with her brother, isn’t she?”
“…Yes. And not just any hostage. Instead of merely being held captive, she’s under mind control, which means the hostage is cooperative with the captor, correct?”
“Indeed. So even if Nina managed to escape by exploiting the Archbishop’s vulnerabilities… Lucius wouldn’t come with her. Moreover, it wouldn’t be surprising if other family members were also imprisoned as a safeguard. It’s no wonder she feels cornered.”
Albert, Sara, and Katia pieced things together in turn. As students of the kingdom’s top academy, their ability to quickly grasp and share complex information was remarkable.
“I’ve heard that Nina-sama is on good terms with the current Frodite family. Likely, the Archbishop exploited this, using Lucius and others as hostages to coerce her… or perhaps placed her under some kind of geass as well.”
“Geass…? Hermes, is that magic on their side too?”
“No, it’s probably a magical tool. My master mentioned such tools, and I could faintly sense a similar kind of magic from Nina-sama.”
“…The Church is renowned for possessing numerous magical tools gathered from across the nation. That makes sense. For now, we’ll use Hermes’s assessment as our foundation.”
Jurgen’s words marked the conclusion of their hypothesis about the Frodite siblings’ situation.
“…W-Wait a moment, please!”
Breaking her silence, Liliana spoke up.
Ensuring all eyes were on her, she continued.
“Nina… she’s the beautiful silver-haired lady, correct? I don’t know much about her, so I’ll leave that to all of you. However—”
“However?”
“…You said Archbishop Johann’s Bloodline Magic is mind control. That’s what your master taught you, correct?”
From her tone, the group could guess what she was about to say next.
“Then… what is that ‘Divine Retribution’… exactly?”
As expected.
“…I was just about to share my theories on that.”
Hermes answered quietly, and this time Albert spoke.
“The most straightforward explanation is that the Archbishop has dual aptitudes.”
“…I doubt that.”
Sara, herself possessing dual aptitudes, refuted the suggestion.
“Sara, do you know something?”
“…I was involved with the Church in the past. During that time, I heard rumors about Archbishop Johann, but there was never any mention of him having dual aptitudes.”
“So it wasn’t something he kept hidden. Then there’d be no reason to reveal it in that situation. If it were for show, he’d have chosen a better moment.”
Jurgen added. With this shared understanding, Hermes began hypothesizing about the ‘Divine Retribution.’
“First, let’s address the nature of that magic—let’s call it ‘Divine Retribution.’ It doesn’t fall under the category of Bloodline Magic. Considering its power and functionality, even if it were Bloodline Magic, its performance would be far beyond the norm.”
As perhaps the nation’s foremost expert on Bloodline Magic, Hermes knew better than anyone.
Rose’s [Hlidskjalf], the most powerful Bloodline Magic he was aware of, couldn’t compare. A technique capable of such destruction with precision? Unthinkable.
“H-How so?”
“It means there’s some sort of mechanism involved, Liliana-sama.”
Hermes delivered his conclusion.
Lucius’s ability to “cut magic” was likely a skill unique to him, with no special mechanisms involved.
On the other hand, Johann’s Divine Retribution didn’t feel the same way—Hermes could sense that much.
“There’s a mechanism, it’s not Bloodline Magic… so, is this also a magical tool at work?”
“That’s probably the case, but…”
Hermes hesitated, even as he agreed with Jurgen’s speculation. Noticing this, Jurgen prompted him to continue.
“—First, let me state a general principle based on experience. Magical tools, as a rule, cannot surpass Bloodline Magic. Not even ancient magical artifacts.”
“That’s news to me… is that true?”
“Yes. While I can’t claim to have absolute proof or confidence in this, so far, I’ve never encountered a magical tool that defies this rule.”
With this premise established, Hermes resumed his explanation.
“With that in mind… regarding the Divine Retribution ritual, I believe that if the right magical tools were combined, it could achieve bombardments of that power—but only that.”
“Only that, meaning…?”
“Yes. However—firing such attacks freely, as if targeting us on the fly, is… impossible. No combination of magical tools I know of can accomplish that.”
Replicating that level of power would require a fixed cannon with painstaking setup and time, based on current magical technology. Conversely, a technique capable of free targeting would inevitably sacrifice power. Balancing both is the challenge, which is precisely why Hermes considers [Hlidskjalf] the strongest Bloodline Magic.
Which is why—Hermes shared his final concern.
“This may contradict what I just said… but regarding that aspect, it’s possible that something—something akin to the ‘unknown, transcendent technology the Duke once mentioned—is involved.”
“…”
The group once again realized the enormity of the enemy they faced.
But then—
“I hate to interrupt such an in-depth discussion, but…”
Jurgen spoke, smiling wryly.
“Shall we review everything again? It seems Her Highness is reaching her limit.”
“Wha—!?”
Suddenly mentioned, Liliana let out a startled, embarrassed yelp.
“I-I-I’m fine! Discussions this complex are no trouble for my intellect—”
“Your Highness, pretending otherwise won’t do you any good.”
Jurgen gently admonished her. It was true—Liliana looked as though her head might start steaming at any moment. Hermes, feeling slightly guilty, began summarizing everything once more.
“First, Archbishop Johann’s Bloodline Magic is mind control, and Lucius-sama is under its influence. As a result, Nina-sama has no choice but to oppose us. Second, the Divine Retributionritual is likely powered by magical tools, but it may also involve some mechanism beyond our understanding. Broadly, these are the two key issues.”
…Even after summarizing, it was clear many questions remained unresolved.
The younger group mulled over the situation, each in their own way—but—
“There’s a silver lining in all of this.”
Jurgen declared firmly.
“—If we defeat Johann, everything will be resolved.”
…Well, that was certainly true.
A simple conclusion, in a sense, and everyone nodded in agreement. Jurgen continued.
“Besides, the fact that you’ve analyzed so much already is impressive. We don’t need to understand everything right now. What we know so far is enough to plan our next steps.”
He praised Hermes’s analytical efforts and shifted the conversation toward their strategy.
“Defeating Archbishop Johann. This is the absolute condition for quelling the Northern rebellion. From here, we’ll work toward that goal. First, we’ll rally the soldiers at this stronghold and devise a strategy to defeat him. At the same time, we’ll gather information on the enemy’s forces and the specifics of their magic—mind control and Divine Retribution—and develop countermeasures.
Her Highness Liliana will lead on the former as our figurehead, while Hermes will focus on the latter. Sound good? Hermes, thank you again. Considering we lost the first encounter without any prior knowledge, we’ve made remarkable progress.”
It was concise and clear, outlining their path forward.
This ability to summarize and guide likely came from Jurgen’s extensive experience in organizing and leading others.
“…I’m ashamed of my inexperience, Father.”
“Haha, of course, I expect more from you in the future, but if my daughter is already accomplishing this much, I might lose my place as the head of the family.”
At Katia’s remark, Jurgen chuckled lightly.
“—While I can’t say we have plenty of time in this situation, as long as you act carefully and surely, you’ll be fine. For now—”
After displaying his composed demeanor, Jurgen turned his gaze toward the door.
At that moment, a knock sounded, right on cue.
“…It seems the lord of this domain is ready to meet us. Our first step will be to negotiate and rally the soldiers here to our side.”
At Jurgen’s words, the group nodded.
To resolve the northern rebellion, they set forth once more, following the arduous but now visible path ahead.