Karnak, Monarch of Death

Diogres had his magic sealed by Elezar. That meant her seal had penetrated deeply into his being, giving him a rare, almost intimate understanding of her techniques and their true nature.

”Thanks to that, I realized something I’d never noticed before,” he said with a shake of his head. ”I came to know how they managed to fuse elements that should be utterly incompatible.”

He was referring to the fusion of mana, aura, divine power and necromantic energy. By the laws of this world, these forces could not coexist.

”But out there in the world... there are powers far more chaotic than any of those,” explained Diogres.

At the core of the cultists’ forbidden arts lay a power tainted by draconic might. This was something Diogres had uncovered through his profound arcane knowledge and insight.

”It’s not exactly pure draconic mana, but it’s something very similar. It doesn’t align perfectly, but it’s of the same kind,” explained Diogres.

Whatever it was, it clearly belonged to the same family of powers. That much was certain.

Varos leaned over and whispered telepathically to Karnak.

—You didn’t know either, young master?

Karnak responded with a wry smile.

—With conditions like that, even I couldn’t have known, unless my powers were sealed the same way. So... he’s saying Tesranach’s power is infused with dragon power?

Varos nodded slowly.

—It’s starting to make some sense.

After all, the two of them were well aware of the mightiest of all dragons, the one so powerful and terrifying that even the gods feared it.

—In the end, do you think Tesranach’s true identity is Grateria?

—Didn’t you once say there’s no reason for that, young master?

—I still think there’s no reason. But look at all this.

What reason would the Dragon Emperor Grateria have to become Tesranach? Karnak blinked and turned to Varos with a strange look.

—Wait. What if it’s not that?

—What do you mean?

—What if the other you... devoured the Dragon Emperor too?

According to Demphis, the Tesranach of the other world was the version of Varos who had absorbed that world’s Karnak. Perhaps he had also absorbed Grateria from that world.

Karnak gave the idea a thought.

—I don’t know how that would even be possible, but if so... the theory holds.

Varos muttered a curse under his breath, appalled.

—That bastard really eats anything, doesn’t he?

Meanwhile, Milia was frozen in stunned silence. The telepathic exchange wasn’t a private communication line between Karnak and Varos. All the vassals could hear it too.

Sir Varos... ate Lord Karnak? What the hell are they talking about?! she thought.

And Lapicel, watching Milia squirm, was now looking at her like she’d gone a little mad. Is it just me, or does everyone go a bit weird after spending time with Lord Karnak?

All the while, Diogres continued explaining. ”After forming that theory, I began working on a solution. I managed to pinpoint a location that likely held dragon bones.”

The first place that came to mind was Dragon Land, but given his condition, it was far too dangerous. Even with Desteran’s help, venturing into the heart of dragon territory would have been suicide.

”That’s when I remembered Dragon Isle. There was once a mage in the Tower of Dawn who had shown interest in the place, and I recalled what he’d said,” said Diogres.

That mage had ultimately found nothing useful on the island. Still, the presence of dragon bones had been confirmed. So Diogres made his way there and had been researching the solution ever since.

”So... you’ve found a way to break the seal?” Leven asked.

Diogres smiled faintly. ”Only in theory.”

Using the faint traces of draconic mana left in the bones as a catalyst, he believed he could finally undo the seal.

”It’ll take a bit of time, though. About six days total? I should have three days left now,” explained Diogres.

”That’s incredible,” Serati said, her eyes fixed on the archmage with renewed awe.

Even though he could barely use fourth circle magic, he had found a way to overcome it all on his own.

Did we even need to come help him in the first place? He probably would’ve figured this out without us, thought Serati.

Of course, Karnak hadn’t come just to help. He had also wanted to bring Diogres over to their side. And in that regard, things were going quite well.

Diogres seemed grateful. ”I owe the Church of Twilight a great deal. If not for you, I’d never have made it this far.”

In truth, the party hadn’t done much, but had managed to be considered allies. Well, it wasn’t entirely inaccurate. Karnak had founded the Church of Twilight, after all. Everyone now looked to Diogres with rising anticipation. If the archmage could return to full power, he would be a formidable ally indeed.

Desteran slowly rose to his feet. ”Is the conversation finished?”

He then looked solemnly at Diogres and declared with great seriousness, ”Then it is time to fulfill today’s promise.”

Diogres’s face immediately took on that same exhausted look again. ”Ah... right...”

Everyone looked on in confusion, wondering what they were talking about. Desteran reached into his coat and pulled out a small booklet. It looked entirely ordinary. It wasn’t adorned, and there was no title.

With a reverent expression, Desteran opened the booklet and began to read aloud. ”Light bears darkness and darkness bears light. The darkest twilight calls forth the night, and the deepest night calls forth the dawn...”

At last, Karnak’s group realized what the booklet was.

”Ah...”

”That’s...”

It was, unmistakably, the Scriptures of Twilight.

”What... are you doing right now?” Serati asked, flustered.

Desteran answered her respectfully, ”I am delivering the words of Lady Serakal to him. As a devout follower, it is my duty.”

This was the condition he had set in exchange for helping Diogres. As a worshipper of twilight, he had to spread the blessed teachings far and wide. And Diogres just so happened to be the Master of the Tower of Dawn.

”Dawn and Twilight... It’s nothing short of destiny,” Desteran said, seemingly moved nearly to tears.

Diogres, on the other hand, looked utterly dead inside. ”Sigh.”

Just in case, Serati asked hesitantly, ”Wait, is this... every day?”

”It’s our agreement,” Desteran said simply. And with that, he continued joyfully reciting scripture, holding Diogres captive.

”In the kingdom of Serakal, the spring breeze blows year-round, and the scent of peaches lingers upon the land. There, snakes and children play side by side, and all hatred and conflict melts away...”

Varos and Karnak, watching the scene unfold, both had expressions of pity and reluctant amusement.

Karnak began.

—So he’s been doing that every day, huh?

Varos shook his head in pity.

—No wonder he looked ready to die the moment he heard Church of Twilight.

Karnak had to agree.

—I never once felt sorry for that man in my past life, but now I kind of do.

***

For three days, Karnak’s group stayed with Diogres on Dragon Isle. Though Diogres wasn’t openly wary, he did keep some distance from them.

Karnak didn’t find that odd. The Church of Twilight was, after all, a cult, and no archmage of the empire was going to warmly embrace a cultist.

But a few days later, his attitude shifted completely. It was thanks to one comment from Serati, who couldn’t bear it anymore. ”Um, is the scripture study really necessary every day?”

She was simply worried that Diogres, who should be focused on breaking the seal, was having his concentration derailed. And to be honest, she didn’t care about the Church of Twilight at all. But to Desteran, these were the words of the saintess, the incarnation of the goddess.

”My deepest apologies. I was too eager. Faith must never be forced. True truth shall be embraced in time...”

”Uh, y-yeah, that’s true...”

And just like that, the daily scripture reading stopped, and Diogres’s attitude transformed overnight. ”So not all followers of the Church of Twilight are insane, I mean, fervent worshippers, then!”

Whatever torment he’d endured, it seemed that simply halting the readings was enough to make him look at Serati with the warmth of a savior. He even prepared a gift for her.

”You’ve been studying Ralphon, I see?” he said.

”Oh, just in my spare time. It’s tough not understanding anyone,” responded Serati.

”Would you like a translation pendant?” Diogres asked her.

Serati’s face lit up. ”You have one?”

”It’s a leftover from a sale, but...”

Despite calling it a leftover, what he gave her was far from ordinary. The pendant could translate not just all imperial languages, but those of the Seven Kingdoms and even various remote tribes. It was the kind of artifact usually reserved for royalty. And it now hung around Serati’s neck.

Wow! I’m finally free from the curse of not understanding anything!

She wasn’t the only one who benefited—Karnak, too, gained quite a bit. Diogres had laid countless protective barriers around his hideout, and they bore striking similarities in quality to Karnak’s necromantic magic.

He studied them closely and dissected their structures and principles.

When he ran into something he couldn’t figure out, he didn’t hesitate to ask. ”How did you set this up?”

”Well, it’s a secret technique from the Tower of Dawn, so I’m not really supposed to share it but...”

Despite the preface, Diogres answered willingly. After all, given the debt he owed the Church of Twilight, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to build a little goodwill. As he continued explaining, Diogres found himself genuinely entertained by how quickly Karnak was picking things up.

”For someone who’s only eighth circle, you grasp this surprisingly well,” he commented.

To call eighth-circle magic only said a lot about what kind of monster this man truly was.

If he hadn’t lost his power, he probably wouldn’t be messing with dragon bones. He’d be studying live elder dragons by now, Karnak mused

Meanwhile, the aura users passed the time sparring. Desteran, after being deprived of his sacred scripture sessions, offered to train them.

”I may not be quite on Sir Varos’s level, but I’m still a silver knight. You’ll surely gain something from a few rounds.”

And gain they did. For Leven and Lapicel—especially with their innate talents—facing a master of the silver knight was worth more than dozens of battles. But the real winner was Serati.

”Saintess, please witness all that I have learned!”

Desteran, who revered her as the incarnation of the goddess, spared no effort in teaching her.

He gave her everything he had, including his heart, soul, and technique. It was questionable if even his late parents would receive such devotion.

On the other hand, Varos and Milia didn’t gain much at all. Varos was already on Desteran’s level, and Milia, as a priest, didn’t engage in combat training.

Their conversation went something along the lines of...

”So what do we do now, Sir Varos?”

”We still have an important mission.”

”What is it?”

”We’ve fallen behind on the laundry.”

”Tch.”

And just like that, three days flew by. Finally, the promised moment arrived.

”It’s ready.” Diogres led the group to the center of the island, where the dragon bones lay.

It was the first time Karnak’s group saw the dragon bones of this island. The group commented their thoughts.

”Wait, this is a dragon’s bone?”

”I thought it was just some broken rocks.”

”It doesn’t look like a dragon at all.”

The fragments were so shattered that no recognizable shape remained.

Diogres offered a bitter smile. ”I’ve heard it used to look far more intact. But adventurers kept coming, cutting pieces off, smashing bits... and now, well, this is what’s left.”

Regardless of appearances, a dragon’s bone was still a dragon’s bone.

”Then let’s begin the ritual.” Diogres raised his hands and began gathering his magic. ”To those bound in chaos, I reach from beyond the laws and draw near...”

All seventy-two of the layered magical barriers surrounding the dragon bone activated at once.

They interlocked with mechanical precision, like cogs in a finely tuned engine.

”To that which is flawed, bring destruction upon what must not remain...” As he finished the chant, he spoke the incantation that triggered the spell. ”Arise! Shadow of chaos left behind by the death of the dragon!”

A thunderous tremor rippled across the entire island.

***

In the pitch-black darkness of the open sea, a ghost ship glided silently across the waves. Under its tattered sails, on a rotting deck, black-robed figures stared toward the distant horizon.

”Oh!”

”That energy...!”

They couldn’t see it, but they could all feel it. Something was flaring across the ocean with wild and violent energy.

”There’s no mistaking it. It’s him!”

One of the figures, a member of the Cult of the Black God, turned and rushed toward the captain’s cabin in excitement. Inside the cabin sat a woman in her forties with lifeless brown hair and a sharp, hollow expression. Aside from the longsword resting gently in her lap, she looked like any other ordinary woman.

But she was anything but ordinary. How could the Holy Sword of the great God of Death, Tesranach ever be considered ordinary? She was one who bore his will upon the land.

With reverence, the cultist bowed and delivered his report. ”We have located Diogres Kolon, Lady Beltia.”