Chapter 958

“Hold on a moment!”

A sudden, sharp, high-pitched voice cut through the room. Instantly, every eye in the audience chamber snapped toward the source.

It was Ako, who had been standing a step back. She frowned in confusion, ignoring the stares directed at her.

“You’re saying the Underworld God has been annihilated?”

“That’s right,” Crony replied, as if there were no issue with it.

Forgetting she was in the emperor’s presence, Ako crossed her arms and stepped closer to Crony. The mages watching noticed her eyes narrow sharply—those eyes looked like they were on the verge of snapping.

“Are you kidding me? Does that even make sense?”

She muttered under her breath, barely a whisper but loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Ah! Ako!” someone exclaimed.

“My apologies, Your Majesty. She’s been through so many experiments, her mind isn’t quite stable,” the mages quickly tried to intervene, but it was no use. Ako kept her distance from Crony, circling him as if ‘studying’ him.

“Seems even the Magic Department is powerless against the passage of time,” Crony sneered, locking eyes with her. It was a veiled insult, implying that everyone’s minds were slipping.

But Ako didn’t care. Her gaze sharpened.

“I just can’t wrap my head around what Sir Crony said—that the Underworld God was annihilated.”

“Can’t understand? The living proof stands right before you. Why doubt before you rejoice? Or is it that you don’t want to accept it?”

Was she implying that if the Underworld God disappeared and monsters vanished from the world, the mages’ status would decline?

Ako caught the hidden meaning and didn’t hide her displeasure.

“Listen.”

“It’s understandable to find it hard to believe. But isn’t it your duty to investigate and uncover the truth?”

Crony turned confidently to the emperor.

“From now on, the rifts across Gaia, including Bariel, will vanish, Your Majesty. I, Crony Alphat, swear on my family’s honor and the divine power bestowed upon me.”

“Hmm.”

The emperor and officials cleared their throats, whispering among themselves. The decline in monsters was undeniable, and since this came from someone who had returned alive from the Abyss, no one could refute it.

The Underworld God is gone? Peace will come to Gaia? Doubt all you want, but there’s no reason not to believe—at least for now.

“No, I’m telling you! The Underworld God is not something that can be annihilated!”

Sensing the tension in the room, Ako threw her head back in frustration and shouted. Anyone who had studied the records of the monster wars a hundred years ago would know how absurd this claim was.

“Just as light casts shadows, as long as the gods exist, the Underworld God must coexist. Saying it’s been annihilated is the same as saying the gods don’t exist. You expect us to believe such nonsense?”

“That’s right, Your Majesty. While there may be a connection between Sir Crony’s survival from the Abyss and the recent decline in monsters, the annihilation of the Underworld God is impossible.”

“If it were possible, it should have happened a hundred years ago. Back then, the emperor himself received divine protection to confront the Underworld God. The entire Magic Department stood united. Yet—”

Is it even believable that Crony alone destroyed the Underworld God? And he’s not even a mage?

“It doesn’t matter how many shed blood. What matters is who shed it.”

Ziiing!

Crony’s golden eyes flashed as he demonstrated his magic. He was claiming to have accomplished what the entire Magic Department could not. His message was clear: no matter how many of you there are, you don’t come close to me.

“Hah! Damn, you see all kinds of things in life.”

Ako let out a bitter laugh. Crony raised his hand, signaling the mages to calm down.

“Well, if you don’t believe me, go investigate yourself. Descend to the bottom of the Abyss and you’ll see. The Underworld God no longer exists.”

“…!”

The mages grimaced in shock. He was basically daring them to crawl into the Abyss if they doubted him.

Even Ako, who usually would have fired back, fell silent, realizing the situation was more serious than she thought. One wrong word here could complicate things.

‘Damn it, what kind of bastard is this?’

Was this some ploy to lure mages into the Abyss and get rid of them?

The frustrating part was that there was no solid counterargument. To disprove the complete destruction of the Underworld God, the Magic Department would have to investigate and present evidence. But telling them to go see for themselves in the Abyss was, in a way, reasonable.

“Well, anyway, this is good news!”

Breaking the awkward silence, an official spoke up. Others quickly joined in, trying to lighten the mood with exaggerated cheers.

“Indeed. If Sir Crony is right, peace will reign over Gaia, a blessing for the entire continent beyond Bariel!”

“Yes, even if not, Sir Crony’s safe return is cause for celebration. The empire’s people revere him for his bravery in the Northern War. And now he’s gained magical power—how wonderful. The Magic Department has struggled with manpower, so his efforts are appreciated.”

Whether the Underworld God was truly gone or not, the palace’s stance was positive. The Magic Department seemed to agree.

“If that power is truly magical energy, that is,” someone muttered. “But why don’t I feel like laughing?”

“True magical energy? What do you mean?”

The emperor watched the clash between Crony and the Magic Department with a furrowed brow. He wasn’t exactly thrilled by Crony’s arrival, but from a national perspective, it was necessary to bring him into the palace’s fold.

“Sir Crony spent what he calls ten days, but by our reckoning, ten years, immersed in the Abyss.”

“Um, Captain Ako, ‘immersed’ might be a bit…”

“Magic power is ultimately a force granted by the gods to the world. The power of monsters and mages isn’t fundamentally different.”

Since he came from the Abyss, maybe he borrowed some monster power as a side effect.

At Ako’s remark, Crony shrugged, as if everyone expected this.

“So, how do we prove it? I gained power, but I know nothing about magic. I’ll follow the Magic Department’s lead.”

“The most basic method is to use the Oracle’s Light.”

“You mean the one from the temple?”

“Yes, you’ve seen it before.”

Crony smiled as if recalling it vividly—when Ian was five years old, they used a simplified version of the Oracle’s Light.

“Is that enough?”

“Of course not.”

“Then what else?”

“There’s nothing more to say. If you know the verification method in advance, what’s the point? Didn’t the Imperial Defense Department do the same?”

Trying to dodge the question like a slippery snake? Ako glanced at the emperor, who nodded in approval.

“Good grief.”

After all he’d done—facing the Underworld God during the war and personally dealing with it—he was treated coldly. But what could they do? There was no other way to clear the doubts.

The emperor gave his order.

“Sir Crony, for now, submit to the Magic Department’s investigation. If there is not a single doubt, the empire will wholeheartedly celebrate your return.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will obey.”

“And the Magic Department.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Conduct a thorough investigation, but respect Sir Crony’s achievements with proper courtesy and dignity. If all this is true, Sir Crony is a hero who saved the world.”

The annihilation of the Underworld God meant eternal blessing for Gaia. It was a monumental turning point in history, and even the emperor bowed his head in humble gratitude.

“…We will keep that in mind.”

“Sir Crony, I will provide you with a residence to stay in. For now, rest and enjoy the joy of your return.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. But I hear my own house still stands. My only uncle must have had foresight not to sell off my property.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Then I will return to my home.”

“Very well.”

With that, the emperor rose carefully. Attendants supported his weary steps, and as soon as he left, officials approached Crony to greet him.

“Sir Crony, it’s been a while. Do you remember me?”

“Of course. I should be the one asking.”

“No, you’re exactly as I remember. By the way, meeting the Underworld God gave you a new life as a mage. I’d like to hear more about that.”

“Yes, though I’ll be telling everything during the Magic Department’s investigation.”

“By the way, should I be using formal speech? I was young back then…”

While some chatted happily with Crony, most others approached the Magic Department side, lowering their voices.

“Hey, guys, from what he said earlier, is he saying Crony might be a monster?”

“How else could he have survived the Abyss? It wasn’t an ordinary ordeal.”

“If he were a monster, how did he get past the palace gates? The mages checked him again before the audience.”

“It’s scary, even in broad daylight. It’s like looking at a soul. Someone whose flow of time is different. He’s no longer from our world, is he?”

“What about Minister Arena? When is he coming back? The palace is in complete chaos—tell them to come in right away, no matter what they’re investigating!”

“Shh. Lower your voice. Anyway, from the mages’ perspective, isn’t Lord Crony acting strange? That’s why he’s so on edge, right?”

Ako and the mages exchanged doubtful glances but stayed silent. She kept rubbing her disheveled hair, muttering to herself.

“On the surface, nothing seems off. And that’s the problem.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“You wouldn’t understand even if I explained. This is something only mages can sense.”

If they were connected by magic, they would have detected it with their sixth sense beforehand. Yet, none of them noticed any trace of magic until Crony himself opened his golden eyes. That means the power he’s dealing with is definitely on a different wavelength from ours…

“He’s even more annoying than I thought. There’s something off about him.”

“Beric.”

“And you say he’s mixed with Ian’s blood? Not a bit of resemblance.”

At that moment, Beric peeked his head out and sniffled. The mages signaled to leave for now, and the captains quickly divided up their tasks.

“I’ll keep a close watch on Crony.”

“Okay, we’ll head back to the Magic Department to check the records. By the way, have you contacted Ian?”

“Yeah. It should be well past the time he’d have arrived.”

The mages checked the time anxiously. Even if Ian came by carriage instead of flying, he should have been here by now.

Ako scratched her forehead and looked up at the sky.

“Where on earth is he, and what’s he doing?”