Omniscient First-Person's Viewpoint - Chapter 708

WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Chapter 708: Diplomacy

──────

I couldn't tell whether this was a threat or an advance. I felt no hostility from the Cyan Tower Master, so everyone simply stood by and watched until I froze.

Lankart sneered.

"Tch. So even the Cyan Tower Master is just a woman after all. In the end, you want to rely on someone else. You're disqualified as a man."

It wasn't as if she had ever said she wanted to be a man in the first place. What did he think being a man even meant?

No, more importantly.

"Hey, Lankart. Are you just going to watch?!"

"You handle your own woman troubles. When have I ever meddled in your woman troubles?"

"That's true, but... Urgh!"

My body was freezing solid. The Cyan Tower Master kept lowering the temperature as though she intended to freeze alongside me. I desperately looked for someone to help.

"Shei, save me!"

"...Serves you right."

"Pardon? What did you say?"

Her true feelings slipped out, didn't they? Shei must have realized it too, because she looked as though she had made a mistake.

"If you cause trouble, you should clean it up afterward. You brought this on yourself."

"Are you really in any position to say that?!"

"I do clean things up. Only when I have the time and reason to do so."

Did she let the world before her regression be destroyed because she couldn't clean things up?! ...Now that I thought about it, that was probably right. If she had managed to clean things up, there would have been no need to regress.

"You have both the time and the reason right now. You have history with Elisha, so you can at least help clean things up. It's not like you're busy, right?"

"I am busy! What about the promise you made me?"

"Promise?"

"You said you'd take me to Holy Mountain Yulim and show me the Sanctum's Demon God!"

"Ah."

You forgot. You hadn't thought about it at all, had you? Well, someone who forgot her own memories wasn't likely to remember a promise she made to someone else!

"That's even better."

"What's better about it?"

"I'll try calling the Celestial God. It'll take time, so you can handle the aftermath while I do."

What? Call the Celestial God? That was possible? Then what had all my suffering until now been for?

A regressor was reassuring when she was on your side, but nothing was more terrifying when she was on someone else's. Shei shot me a sidelong glance and encouraged the Cyan Tower Master.

"Elisha. Use him as much as you want. I'll allow it. In return, will you lend me some observation equipment?"

"Who are you to give permission to use me... Aaaagh! Fine! Cyan Tower Master, I'll help as much as I can!"

I could run away, but I did have some shame. If I threw a tantrum and ran now, I'd look pathetic.

The Cyan Tower Master didn't show it, but she was greatly relieved. She handed Shei an earring set with a blue jewel.

"Shei. I'll give you the token of the Cyan Tower. Take whatever supplies or personnel you need from the Crystal Tower. I'll tell Avant-garde to assist you."

"Thank you!"

"I'll make good use of Hughes."

"Uh, you do have to return him, though..."

Who were they to talk about using and returning me?! I belonged to myself. No one could own me!

"Hilde! Lankart! Avant-garde! Where did everyone on my side go?!"

'Calling the Celestial God? Interesting. It might be useful, so I should watch.'

'It's all karma. You've influenced every nation. You can't keep running forever, can you? Father is inevitably going to become a king. Now then. What will Father look like ruling a country?'

'Even if it's only this way...'

No one answered my call. Lankart showed deep interest in how to call the Celestial God, Hilde watched me with a very curious expression, and Avant-garde was actually cheering on the Cyan Tower Master.

The world below was so crowded there was barely room to set foot. It was as though everyone in the world knew the floating castle had fallen. Fools prowled around in case there was something to scavenge, investigators arrived from other territories to assess the situation, and unofficial diplomats connected to other countries came as well.

At least the floating castle had landed on Celsius territory, so the situation was being managed somehow. Even so, the problems piled up like mountains.

"The biggest problem is diplomacy. The Sword Saint from the vassal states invaded and was driven out."

"The Sword Saint is dead, right?"

"It would be better if that were true."

We couldn't be sure. The Sword Saint might suddenly claim to have attained enlightenment and return with a Falling Slash. You couldn't judge the absurd by ordinary standards. That was what made it absurd.

"But don't worry too much. Do you think the Sword Saint's charge into the heart of enemy territory was the Empire's will? The Sword Saint probably acted alone. And the Sword Saint is gone now, so we're safe!"

"Master is gone too."

"They don't know that. They'll think the imaginary Demon King is still guarding the floating castle."

No other country would invade right away. Driving back the Sword Saint alone had proven the Arcane Federation's strength.

"The other half of the meteorite the Sword Saint cut apart fell all over the world. It's a better outcome than the world's destruction, but the damage is enormous. Many places will demand accountability. Even now, envoys from the vassal states and the head of a Patronage Merchant Guild have come to Celsius territory to ask about the situation."

"That's fine too. We did something, didn't we?"

Wishes move people. Actions taken with intent couldn't fail to have an effect.

"Even ramming the floating castle into the meteorite, that atrocity, meant something. We did something that stupid. There's no way it didn't get through to anyone."

* * *

The Sword Saint's slash did not end with one strike. Still, no matter how formidable the Sword Saint was, only one layer could be cut at a time. The Sword Saint cut, cut, and cut again. The meteorite split apart, then scattered in every direction as it fell.

Once the Sword Saint had blunted the meteorite's point, the mage towers and the Imperial army moved next.

The Empire's mage towers, great cannons, and sea monster harpoons aimed at the sky and intercepted the smaller meteorite fragments.

The Empire was the ruler of the Mediterranean and had hunted the sea monsters of the Mediterranean before. Its maritime domain was limited to coastal waters, but it was the only nation in the world that claimed the sea as its own and launched ships on it. The Empire poured every resource and mystery it possessed into attacking the meteorite.

The Empire was powerful, and its command moved as one. Having responded to the Sanctum's warning in time, the Empire stopped the meteorite with only minor damage.

The Empire.

The Empire declared.

That meteorite had been dropped by the Arcane Federation. The vile pretender falsely claiming the title of Demon King was the true culprit. The vassal states should rightly condemn the Arcane Federation.

"Does the Empire take us for fools?!"

The vassal states fiercely protested.

"We have astronomers too! No, anyone with decent eyesight could tell! Everyone clearly saw the floating castle collide with the meteorite and stop it!"

"If the Arcane Federation had dropped it, why would it have stopped the meteorite itself?"

"The meteorite wasn't falling in our direction to begin with. It was headed for the Empire!"

"We aren't condemning the Empire, but didn't the Empire shift the damage it would have suffered onto the vassal states?"

A pile of rocks had suddenly fallen on their heads. Stones far heavier and harder than those used in catapults, falling from heights far greater than any catapult could reach. Mountains were sent flying, giant trees fell, and castles and buildings collapsed. Despite evacuation orders, the damage was astronomical.

Compared to that, the Empire's damage was minor. To the vassal states, it looked as though the Empire had pushed the meteorite fragments onto them.

And to some extent, that was true. The damage the vassal states would suffer had not been factored in.

The Empire declared that if the Sword Saint and the Empire had not destroyed the meteorite, the damage would have been enough to shatter the continent. The Empire had saved the world.

"The Sanctum and the Holy Maiden saved the world. If they hadn't foreseen the impact site, I would be dead!"

"If it hadn't been for the Tathagata Divine Mirror cast by the Holy Maiden of Light, the major cities and facilities would have been completely destroyed!"

"It's only thanks to the Holy Maiden protecting us!"

The Tathagata Divine Mirror was cast by the Holy Maiden of Light, who had descended from the floating castle. It was a continent-wide mirror made in preparation for the meteorite's eventual fall. Light from the observatories and reflecting mirrors of every vassal state was gathered at a single point, then the Holy Maiden bound it all together and fired it.

It was the move the Sanctum had prepared to save the land. Its immense power materialized light and sent beams racing through the atmosphere at the speed of light to burn and intercept the falling rocks.

Those who witnessed that magnificent and sacred sight clasped their hands together and prayed in awe.

In truth, the Tathagata Divine Mirror alone could not stop the meteorite. It could only use light to break down small fragments and scatter them away. In practical terms, the Sword Saint had stopped the meteorite.

The Empire stated that fact, but...

"If the Sword Saint hadn't swung that sword, the Demon King of the floating castle would have retrieved the meteorite."

"After causing harm to the vassal states with such needless actions, shouldn't the Empire compensate us instead?"

"The Empire made its own mess and threw it at others. It has a lot of nerve blaming others."

They wrapped it in political rhetoric, but the meaning was no different.

Who could have known? Who could have believed? That even if they did nothing, someone in the floating castle would stop the meteorite.

But a choice already made could not be undone, and fault had already arisen. Then who bore the responsibility?

The Sword Saint, who cut the meteorite?

Or the Demon King, who dropped it?

Or Principia, who had observed the meteorite beforehand?

The lord who drove Principia to make an extreme choice?

Or was it the meteorite's fault for drifting through space and heedlessly approaching the orbital path?