Chapter 786
Episode 193: The Shrine Maiden (4)
“Manipulation?”
“Yeah. From the moment Sanna finished her first prayer, records started flooding in all at once. The interference that had been blocking things on the battlefield vanished suddenly.”
Valeria opened the record window.
<Lokia Ganesto rescues Keliak Ziphl, who was on the brink of annihilation, and escapes the Tower of Stories.>
<‘This can’t end here, Keliak Ziphl. You must become whole and stand against Siron.’>
The two sentences glowed clearly on the screen.
“The records we got about Lokia from Lord Runtia’s pocket dimension used to be unstable, scattering and fading quickly. That could have been due to historical manipulation applied to Lokia, or maybe Lokia himself pulled some strings.”
“But unlike before, the records we just obtained about Lokia have no issues at all…?”
“Exactly. Sanna interfered. And I think she assumed I wouldn’t notice. If I hadn’t witnessed the exact moment the prayer ended, or hadn’t confirmed the instability in Lokia’s previous records, I wouldn’t have been sure either.”
Sanna’s interference wasn’t with the record magic itself, but with the actual records left on site.
If she had tampered with the record magic, Valeria would have sensed it immediately. But by altering the records themselves, she managed to hide it from Valeria—whose record magic isn’t perfect yet.
As Valeria explained this, her comrades nodded in understanding.
“So Sanna anticipated our arrival and manipulated the records accordingly. Luckily, we arrived right at the moment the records were altered, so we could detect it. Also, Sanna couldn’t replicate the unique instability that Lokia’s records usually have.”
“That’s right, Jin.”
“Then the chance that Sanna and Lokia Ganesto are working together is pretty slim, right?”
Siris spoke up.
If Sanna and Lokia were allies, there’d be no need for such complicated record manipulation. Lokia could have just acted directly, like he did in Runtia’s pocket dimension.
Motte caught his breath heavily. After a moment, the group arrived at the Tikang Palace garden, and the meeting began immediately. Luet in the Garden of Swords and Iel in Honka Island joined via communication devices.
For a while, Valeria shared the information she’d gathered from the Tower of Stories with the group.
“…That’s all.”
Luet spoke up.
{[Good work, Valeria. From what you’ve explained, I think there are three main points. First, the truth behind Keliak’s rampage and his whereabouts. Second, the relationships between Ziphl and Sanna, and between Lokia and Sanna. Third, the reason for the manipulation and the enemies’ true objectives.]}
The discussion started with Keliak’s rampage.
When asked if Keliak Ziphl truly sought the power of the Dread God, most, including Jin, responded skeptically.
“There were no signs leading up to this from Keliak. Maybe we missed something, but this is the first time we’ve seen a rampage and battle in the Tower of Stories.”
“That’s right, Your Highness. The idea that the family tried to turn Keliak into a Dread God is nonsense. That power is uncontrollable, and they’ve already been defeated by the temporary alliance. Especially since Jin’s fusion with his spirit was the decisive factor, Ziphl has no reason to covet that power.”
The Dread God’s power is a catastrophe capable of destroying the world.
But it was only recently that the great powers and Jin defeated it. For Ziphl to gain absolute dominance, he’d need power beyond the Dread God.
Besides, they have the Demon God Stone. Completing that is far more aligned with Ziphl’s goals than chasing the Dread God’s power.
“Becoming a Dread God requires the authority of Helluram. But unlike the prophet, the shrine maiden Sanna uses the power of the Sun God.”
“Then… Keliak’s rampage might have been Veradin’s purge in action.”
Quikantel’s words drew the group’s attention.
“Veradin Ziphl orchestrated all this to purge Keliak and seize absolute power over the family…?”
“If Veradin deliberately provoked Keliak to diminish Kadun’s influence, then Kadun’s recent actions could support that theory.”
“There are many reasons for a purge. If Keliak was beyond recovery, removing him would solidify Veradin’s power. Or even if Keliak rampaged and had to be killed, it would have been better for Veradin to frame it as a purge and handle it himself.”
Jin exchanged glances with his comrades and added quietly,
“…Or, like with the Dread God, Lokia Ganesto might have pulled some strings behind the scenes. Either way, Keliak’s downfall is clear. The best way is to find him and ask directly.”
“As you said, my lord, we should find Keliak. Since Sanna’s records are manipulated, there might be no one who helped Keliak escape. If so, he must have fled on his own and is hiding.”
Whatever the reason for Keliak’s purge, Veradin was now the head of Ziphl. Keliak’s era was over.
And Jin instinctively felt that facing Keliak would be easier than dealing with his friend who had changed so strangely.
The power similar to record magic, the strengthened Demon God Stone, the sanctuary, and the living golems of the Demon Sword Masters—all of these made Veradin’s abilities as the new head far more threatening than Keliak’s time.
{[Valeria must take on the task of finding Keliak. Even if he didn’t become a Dread God, he did rampage under the influence of his spirit, so he can’t hide for long. Such a spirit will inevitably expose him somewhere. We must find him before Ziphl does to uncover the truth.]}
“Understood, Lady Luet.”
{[I will also do my best to deduce more about the record manipulation.]}
“Now, let’s talk about Sanna, the shrine maiden. She appeared out of nowhere and didn’t hide her Sun God’s power at all. She even revealed that there are multiple sects within the Sun God’s faith and demonstrated power strong enough to manipulate records.”
“And when Jin asked if she intended to destroy the world first and then resurrect the Sun God, she was silent for a moment.”
This time, Siris added her thoughts to Jin’s words.
“Sun God followers, including Orgal, have long claimed that the world will be restored when the Sun God returns. So Sanna might want to destroy everything first, believing the Sun God’s return will make the world whole again.”
If Siris’s assumption is true, the difference between Kinzelro and Sanna’s positions makes sense. Kinzelro wants to preserve and transform the world, while Sanna wants to start over from scratch.
“If Siris is right, the world’s destruction might be a prerequisite for the Sun God’s resurrection. At least, that’s what Sanna’s sect might believe.”
“Then doesn’t that explain why Sanna is allied with Ziphl instead of Kinzelro? She’s using Ziphl to bring about the world’s destruction first! Using the Demon God Stone and elements like Elona and Ziphl, who are currently sealed by Lady Misha.”
Enya’s words widened everyone’s eyes.
Though just a theory, it sent chills down their spines.
“But if the world’s destruction is necessary for the Sun God’s return, then Sanna and Lokia have overlapping goals. Lokia is suspected to have pushed Rosa to become a Dread God behind the scenes.”
“Whatever the theory, the possibility that Lokia and Sanna are allies remains open. The reason the manipulated records didn’t become unstable this time could be because Lokia, who’s cooperating with Sanna, was absent.”
Valeria’s opinion earned nods from the group.
Sanna, Lokia, Kinzelro.
Though their methods differ, these three share a common goal. If the decisive moment to resurrect the Sun God comes, they could unite their forces at any time.
{[Lord Veil, do you know anything about the Sun God’s faith or its sects?]}
“No, nothing. It’s pretty annoying that this Sanna might have powers stronger than mine.”
{[Try to be a bit more helpful.]}
“Alright… sorry.”
“Hmm, anyway, based on what we’ve discussed so far… it seems likely that Ziphl and Sanna are using each other. Ziphl wants to complete the Demon God Stone and the living golems, while Sanna wants to resurrect the Sun God. They’re sticking together for mutual benefit.”
“It’s similar to when Kinzelro and Ziphl were allied in the past.”
“Just like then, we have to carefully manipulate them to turn against each other. So neither achieves their goal.”
The completion of the Demon God Stone and the resurrection of the Sun God—the enemies’ objectives were clear.
For a while, the meeting circled around similar theories.
With no concrete conclusions, they agreed they needed to meet someone with the most reliable knowledge about the Sun God’s faith and Lokia.
“We must meet Orgal, Your Majesty. He surely knows Sanna. If we go to him directly like last time, it’ll cause chaos. Please send a letter immediately.”
“Understood, Your Highness.”
Just as they were about to end the meeting, urgent footsteps echoed down the hallway. Jet was running.
“Jet?”
“My lord! Keliak! Keliak Ziphl!”
Jet burst into the room, his face full of shock as he blurted out Keliak’s name.
“What is it?”
“Someone from Kellyak Ziphl has just arrived at Tikan! They say they have urgent news for you, my lord… I thought they were just some madman, but they showed the Fire Seal!”
“…Bring them here at once!”