Surviving The Fourth Calamity

So in other words, you zealots who’ve left Toril are all ”never return even in undeath,” huh?

Hill couldn’t help glancing at that Great Peacock whose core was rock solid; if street dancers had that kind of core, they’d be winning Olympic gold.

Of course, Hill actually didn’t need to say anything at all—Lansendel had just raised a claw when List already had the Magic Tower changing course.

The Tower Spirit knew very well that Hill’s most important task right now was to introduce more connections to his two students.

Things over at the Tower of Dark Enigma are a bit off; once Hill leaves, if his two students only have ties on the Tower of Dark Enigma’s side, there’s a good chance they’ll be dragged down with it.

Hill only figured all this out later.

The Red Dragon sent from the Styx very clearly doesn’t trust the Tower of Dark Enigma and the Tower of Despair... those two should have formed an alliance by now.

Yet he doesn’t particularly loathe them either—what needs doing, he still does.

It’s just that they get no special treatment, and if someone else can be used, he won’t use them.

But the Tower of Dark Enigma should have originally belonged to the Styx Faction.

So the Tower of Dark Enigma has probably thrown itself into the arms of some other Deity.

However, the Styx doesn’t show any heightened disgust toward the Tower of Dark Enigma either, which means that one is also an existence of the Soul Department, and not an enemy of the Styx.

In truth, the Styx is fairly even-handed in certain respects... no matter why you’ve strayed from me, as long as it isn’t malicious betrayal, and still less throwing yourself to my enemies, then from that point on you’re just a stranger.

From time to time, Hill could hear a hint of Ruth’s complicated feelings about the Styx in his words.

Most likely because when the Tower of Dark Enigma was at its most perilous, when his mentors were dying one after another, they couldn’t obtain any shelter from the Styx, which made him completely abandon the true legacy of the Tower of Dark Enigma.

Asmodier’s assessment of the Tower of Dark Enigma wasn’t wrong either; they really have abandoned their ancient inheritance of the past.

But they haven’t completely given up their stance... they’ve just switched to a new one.

”Despair”—this word does indeed evoke a response from many Soul-side Deities.

The fact that Ruth later handed Felis that original Tower of Dark Enigma inheritance was probably because he’d noticed the renewed activity of the Styx... given his temperament, he definitely wouldn’t turn back, but he also wouldn’t show it in such absolute terms.

Anyway, that inheritance still exists; whether the Tower of Dark Enigma will once more fall into the hands of the Styx line, that depends entirely on who proves more capable in the future.

Even an Envoy of the Styx can’t have any complaints about his choice.

After all, when all the true believers and inheritors have been killed, when a legacy has been severed to such an extent, what can you even say?

Though Ruth may not know the truth... otherwise, the person he tossed the inheritance to wouldn’t necessarily have been Felis, who bears the name of Hainarson but not the substance.

If he’d chosen another Hainarson with some Soul Talents, then even if that one couldn’t learn it, as long as the inheritance was in that fellow’s hands, Gilbert would have no choice but to acknowledge it.

But even with the current Felis, Gilbert likely has no grounds to object.

Their clan has always been of the ”sea that accepts all rivers” type, willing to accept bloodlines from other lines into the clan proper.

Though the Clan Leader’s line must circulate within the Legitimate Line.

These matters actually have nothing to do with Hill.

But this kind of messy situation that takes a lot of Willpower to sort out, Hill doesn’t want it affecting his own Russell and Carpenter.

Unfortunately, Russell still can’t leave.

Even though Hill has done his best to make sure he shows up whenever he should, pays whatever price he should, his entanglement in cause and effect with this world is still far too deep.

That makes it absolutely impossible for Russell to leave this world for any extended period.

Hill’s idea of taking him and Carpenter to Teraxil for a long-term study of Spells can only be completely abandoned.

Even he can’t let a former Son of Fortune cut loose that easily.

But Hill also can’t just leave those two students to struggle alone in that heap of vexing troubles.

Although right now, matters related to the Hainarson Clan are basically being handled by that Envoy of the Styx, and the Tower of Dark Enigma has played a pretty good move, not being completely abandoned by the Styx in a world under its Control.

Even Ruth, who chose to betray the Styx, will live quite well thanks to Gilbert’s gratitude toward him.

But how long Gilbert, who has already entered the Styx, can persist in his attachment to the clan, Hill really can’t be sure.

Necromancy Creatures will always slowly forget those emotions.

Even Deities who enter the Styx will slowly forget their emotions, leaving only the obsession of those bygone days.

Toril’s Grim Reaper is a rare exception; otherwise Jacob wouldn’t be so fond of him, and even Midnight, who was sent into the Grim Reaper’s Divine Kingdom, accepted it without a word.

Amid the gray-and-white hues, Kranvo’s overly abundant emotions seem to let the old Grim Reaper see colors again.

So even though, compared to the previous few Masters of Death, Kranvo is the rudest toward him and the one who causes the most trouble, Jacob is still quite willing to clean up after him.

Hill can understand, of course; those few were polite to him because they wanted something from him.

Whereas Kranvo, as a simple Knight, genuinely treats Jacob as his teacher.

Among that little squad back then, if there was anyone who never changed at all, it really was only Kranvo.

But most Deities of the Styx will eventually become cold and Neutral.

Of course, Toril is forever an exception; after all, those Masters of Death aren’t truly ”masters,” and have recklessly thrown themselves into the struggle between AO and Jacob.

And you can’t really say they were forced into it either... just look at how Cyric lives.

Even now, there are still people who suspect he deliberately picked up that Cyrine Scripture to read.

The guys who use a madman to do bad things naturally have to share in the sins that madman commits.

Like Shaer, who egged him on to kill the Goddess of Magic, Midnight.

The stripping of the Shadow Weave, sure, AO did take the initiative to do something, but that was only because he spotted an opening.

And where did that opening come from? From Shaer’s own smug satisfaction.

When Hill chatted with her a few times recently, he realized this Lady of the Night had more or less made her peace with that whole affair... she loves to bring up William in conversation, so Hill understands: that fine fellow William genuinely laughed at Shaer’s self-inflicted disaster.

Some things are like this: the more you stew on them in your heart, the angrier you get; but once you spell them out, you can actually accept your own mistakes.

The Shaer of today clearly has a much broader heart.

Sometimes Hill can’t help but envy their relationship: in all his years in the Multiverse, he’s really rarely seen a couple so complementary, independent yet lucid, intimate yet harmonious.

However, the moment he inserts himself into the picture, Hill can’t help but shiver.

As expected, love stories are only enjoyable when they’re someone else’s.

Anyway, after watching how Cyric behaved up on Heavenly Mountain, Hill truly feels that his ”madness” is a bit too rational.

Of course, he doesn’t think Cyric isn’t mad.

It’s just that madmen come in different flavors.

Exactly what kind of mad Cyric became because of the Cyrine Scripture—only he himself knows.

In this great chaos on Heavenly Mountain, Hill might have been the bystander with the least to do with anything, but there was probably no one who broke out in cold sweat as much as he did.

After all, those folks from Toril have always lived in that kind of world, Lansendel included.

Hill is different; every time he places himself in the middle of that scene, he can feel all the various ways he’d die.

Sure enough, people really do need a sense of self-knowledge.

Even with a whole crowd of Deities circling around him, Hill is still that little dumb bear who can only play cute if he doesn’t want to die.

Pretending to be obedient and adorable always has its perks.

When AO left, he gave more hints than when he first came.

That’s why Hill can be this relaxed.

It might look like the old man only dropped a tiny hint, but it was enough for Hill to gain a lot of supplementary knowledge about Runes.

And this kind of hidden hint can only be considered AO’s goodwill—no, it would be more accurate to call it his appreciation for a junior.

Rather than the old pattern of one benefit, one pitfall.

So Hill feels he can completely stick to his current way of doing things... the time he can get away with acting childish isn’t long.

Being a big kid isn’t bad either, but many old seniors don’t recognize that as a true child and won’t be lenient with them.

Hill, on the other hand, can quite righteously cite his ”bear-age.”

Don’t they all think he’s from the World Tree Family anyway!

This is just how a World Tree Family bear is.

Hill shook his head, his eyes sweeping past the layers of white cloud, and looked toward the temporary camp set upon the ruins of the Defense Tower.

Lansendel’s Chosen was there, sitting with his legs crossed, waiting expectantly.

”Lansendel, from what I see, it looks like he plans to stay in this world?” Hill asked softly.

”Ah!” The Great Peacock had already raised a water-mirror, peering hard left and right, and even used that sharp beak to smooth the feathers on his body. ”Right, Josh said this world has been suffocating him; he has to vent all that resentment before he can set out again.

Anyway, I’ve got a bit of a connection with the Styx now! That one doesn’t intend to make this world lose its Sun and Moon, it’s just that... a Dual Core switch is inevitable.

But that kind of transition will definitely be a long time from now.

Which suits me fine—I really want to see it for myself.”

Hill nodded... so that guy will at least be staying here for the next thousand years.

He touched his Rune Pen. ”List, have Russell and Carpenter come to the door, get ready to meet a new friend.”

”Hm?” Shaer, who’d been staying over there lost in thought, suddenly turned her head. ”What, you’re not planning to bring your students back to Teraxil?

William said he wants to meet them!

Students you’re willing to openly acknowledge must have very good Talents and character.”

”Russell and that Envoy of the Styx, Gilbert, are of the same clan.” Hill shook his head helplessly. ”They’re also wrapped in a trace of Fate’s aura and have enjoyed many benefits from it.”

Shaer and Lansendel, who understand perfectly well what the Path of Destiny is, of course grasped his meaning instantly.

”So what are you planning to do?” Lansendel asked, a bit worried. ”Staying in this world is fine, but what if the entangled threads multiply?”