Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Chapter 204
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Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Chapter 204
47. The Sea of Rondel (3)
"The operation I'm considering is me acting alone."
"What?"
At my words, the Holy Son and Saintess expressed doubt.
Soon after, I put on a determined expression and led the two to a quiet place.
And after even using a silencing spell, I got to the point.
"I declare that what I am about to do from now on has no connection whatsoever to the church. I ask that the two of you simply observe my actions."
"What do you intend to do?"
A reaction of, we came to discuss an operation, and suddenly what is this talk about.
But at my following statement, the two swallowed their breath.
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. And for kidnapping, we respond with kidnapping."
"What are you saying right now..."
"I will invade Coralheim and take Ieria Nelson's entire family to the duchy."
"Hup! A-are you being serious?"
Ieria Nelson's family in Coralheim, the land of the mermaids, refers to the royal family including the king.
A plan that defies common sense.
At that, the Saintess and Holy Son tried to dissuade me, saying it was so extreme it was insane.
"Hold on. He is still only a suspect, not confirmed as the culprit."
That's a fair point.
Ieria Nelson is still at the suspect stage.
Kidnapping his family when he isn't confirmed as the criminal can only be seen as crossing the line.
"But the possibility is very high."
A sponsor of the demon worshipers, and someone who fled the moment the church's search began.
Looking at the circumstances alone, it's close to 100%.
"That may be so, but if he isn't the one, there's no turning back."
I don't think so.
I believe a proper apology and compensation would be more than enough to smooth things over.
It's extreme, but Ieria Nelson is a strong suspect, and as things stand, the chances of finding the Saintess are extremely low.
Moreover, in this unprecedented crisis of the Saintess's kidnapping, the Elysian Coalition can never be free of blame.
Can't you tell just from the fact that the Grandmaster of the Elysian Coalition, famous for its pride, came at a single summons?
Also, if worse comes to worst, we can just manipulate public opinion.
As someone with administrator authority over the Hollywood System, creating the flow of public opinion online was a very easy task for me.
But I couldn't show these thoughts, so I pressed forward firmly.
"It's worth the risk."
In any case, all I need to do is drag Ieria Nelson out into the public eye.
Then the Myriad Mirror will tell us whether that bastard is the culprit or not.
"What will you do if he never shows his face?"
"Then that's no different from him confessing that he's the culprit. And if that happens, the value of the hostages I've taken only rises."
"The value rises?"
"Because it means we can secure Ibril's safety, at least in part."
"Ah, I see. You mean he won't easily harm Ibril for the sake of his own family."
"Exactly."
Having Ibril's life unilaterally in the enemy's hands is completely different from being in a position where we can negotiate.
"But he is someone who abandoned his family and fled alone. Will he really care about his family's hardship?"
"Not at all. He secretly supported the demon worshipers to keep his family from harm, and he fled alone. Thanks to that, his family still maintains their royal line, don't they?"
"Ah, that is one way to interpret it."
I think I've explained enough at this point.
But my plan is something the church cannot accept.
That's why I emphasized it was my own decision and declared I would act separately.
The Holy Son and Saintess expressed concern toward me for this.
"You may end up building a notorious reputation."
"I'm already seen as a lunatic by many people. What's new about that?"
"Coralheim, whose king has been kidnapped, will not stay still."
"The Duchy of Lawrence won't lose to Coralheim."
"But behind them is the Elysian Coalition."
"And behind me is the Rhinehearts Empire."
When I flashed a grin, they shook their heads as if realizing further persuasion was futile.
The Saintess grasped my hand tightly and added one last word.
"Please take care of yourself."
A person willing to endure a notorious reputation in order to rescue the girl he once sponsored.
That's how I must appear in their eyes.
But my feelings are a little different.
'I made her a Saintess, so I'll protect her until I've gotten my money's worth.'
* * *
Coralheim is a beautiful underwater kingdom surrounded by splendid coral.
The kingdom's capital is located in the vast open sea between the Elisia Union and the Kingdom of Roberto, but it sits on what could be called an underwater island, so the depth reaches 50 meters at its deepest and barely 20 meters at its shallowest.
Thanks to this, sunlight swaying with the waves pours down beautifully, and that light scatters in colorful hues off the coral, making Coralheim renowned as a must-visit destination before one dies.
But unlike the scenery of that beautiful country, the mermaids dwelling there were not simply beautiful as in Earth's fairy tales.
-Kieeeeeek!
That's because the mermaid soldiers, shrieking sharply as they dealt with the intruder, bore forms closer to monsters than to humans.
A mermaid's status is determined from birth.
The more prestigious the family, the closer the mermaid's form was to human, while lower-ranking mermaids closely resembled monster merfolk.
But even those lower mermaids would yield a step in the presence of one particular visual.
"Where do you think you're going."
-Kuuuung!
That was August, the Mental-series spirit sorcerer and intruder into Coralheim.
His Pierrot makeup, which seemed to grow thicker by the day, and his favored red suit, now embellished with gold thread and white frills, had gone beyond strange into outright grotesque.
As August flicked his hand, the charging mermaid soldiers' movements stopped all at once.
And they began attacking their own comrades.
[Hostile spirit manifestation confirmed. Intercepting the enemy.]
To deal with such an intruder, all twenty Spirit Towers guarding the city reacted in unison.
But sensing a colossal mass from the air above, the Spirit Towers abandoned their assault on August and, as if whipping their heads around, poured their attacks toward the water's surface.
-Puaaaaaa!
-Gogo-go!
And while enduring such attacks, submerged Heaven-Piercing Fortresses that had pierced through the surface tension of the water exchanged heavy fire with the Spirit Towers.
-Gugugugung!
-Gugung! Gugung!
The dull, heavy sounds unique to underwater echoed from every direction.
As a result, the sunlight pouring from the sky was blocked by the shadows cast by the massive Heaven-Piercing Fortresses and the bubbles generated by the bombardment, plunging Coralheim's capital into pitch-black darkness even at high noon.
Sailing above Coralheim's capital invites misfortune.
The mermaids greatly disliked ships hovering over their heads and blocking the sunlight.
But even the mermaids were experiencing for the first time an opponent attacking so openly and brazenly.
Who would ever dare to touch Coralheim?
It was one of the principal nations of the Elisia Union, after all.
"My lord!"
August, deployed to guide citizens and sow confusion, shouted while enveloped in a sturdy water bubble designed for underwater activity.
At that, the Heaven-Piercing Fortress's exit opened like a torpedo tube, and Blue Moon's top agents, along with Adrian and Arcia, burst out.
-Shiiiiiik!
Splitting through the currents with ferocious speed, they pierced straight through the roof of Coralheim's Royal Palace.
Due to its underwater terrain, Coralheim had never once been invaded by another nation except by monsters and now intruders had appeared within it.
* * *
Ainhart Nelson.
The current King of Coralheim, he worried greatly about his third son.
Confoundingly, that son had been branded by the church as a companion of demon worshipers and had vanished to somewhere unknown.
Though there were many brothers besides the third son, Ieria, the King treasured each and every one of his children dearly.
"Still no word from the boy?"
"No."
At King Ainhart's question, the Queen, the third prince's birth mother, shook her head.
The deep worry on both their faces showed the love they held for their son.
King Ainhart walked to the minibar, poured wine into two glasses, and brought them over.
For reference, the interior of the Royal Palace was a space like the surface, with water removed by magic.
"Ah, right."
The Queen, receiving the wine glass from her husband, suddenly recalled something strange that had happened during the day.
"But why did the church send another investigation team?"
They had already proven they had no connection to demon worshipers.
So the church's repeated full-scale investigation could only feel unsettling.
The King hesitated at that, but soon downed the wine in one gulp and answered with displeasure.
"They say the main suspect in this Saintess abduction case is Ieria."
"What!? That can't be! That kind, good boy!"
Like any other parents, they believed in their child with unwavering faith.
To the two of them, the entire situation could only be seen as a false accusation.
"Even I can see something's wrong here. To conclude a suspect on nothing but circumstances without any evidence. Who would've known the Holy See was like that."
"I think I understand why that child was wary of the church. Once you're marked, you become the world's villain entirely."
"Who says otherwise? Tsk."
The two kept gulping down wine, venting their frustrations about the current situation.
Just how much did they drink like that?
-BOOM!
Suddenly, a faint tremor shook the Royal Palace, and an underwater explosion reached the ears of the two.
"What was that?"
And then, at that moment.
The Knight Captain of the Aqua Knights, the elite of the elite of Coralheim, burst into the office.
"His Majesty!"
One might expect to be annoyed by his barging in without a single knock, but with all the incidents happening these days, anxiety came flooding in first.
"What is it?"
And as if proving that the anxiety was not unfounded, the King heard a report he could never have imagined.
"It's a surprise attack. Heaven-Piercing Fortresses bearing the crest of the Duchy of Lawrence have barged in!"
"Wh-what?"
Why the Heaven-Piercing Fortresses?
Why the Duchy of Lawrence?
Countless questions arose, but the first emotion that struck him was fear.
Attacking Coralheim, which had never once been invaded by a foreign power, was madness enough but the fact that the one committing this unthinkable act was the unpredictable Grand Duke Lawrence only stoked the unease further.
"Your Majesty, please take refuge somewhere safe for now."
"Very well."
The King decided to leave the premises for the time being.
After all, his allies wouldn't just stand by and watch this abnormal situation unfold.
Behind Coralheim stood the Elysian Coalition.
If they just weathered this one crisis, the invaders would be the ones in trouble.
So the King quickly took the Queen's hand and left the office.
Outside the office, the Aqua Knights were waiting, and they began rushing down the corridor while protecting the King and Queen.
-CRASH!
"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"
But their escape came to an end before long.
Because suddenly, the ceiling of the corridor was pierced through, and a group of intruders appeared.
And sure enough...
"Grand Duke Lawrence!"
At the forefront of the intruders stood the Grand Duke Lawrence.
A strikingly handsome young man.
Yet a man whose every action was audacious.
He had countless epithets attached to him, but if one were to pick the most representative, it would be this.
'One who must never be made an enemy.'
Because of that, King Ainhart flinched greatly.
But with countless citizens of Coralheim behind him, he could not back down despite his fear.
"What is the meaning of this! What grudge do you hold against us to commit such an act!"
Adrian, watching the torrent of water pouring through the ceiling come to a stop due to the Royal Palace's magic, let out a derisive laugh and glared at him with cold eyes.
"Didn't the son of King Nelson abduct our precious Saintess?"
There was no one who didn't know that Adrian was the patron and mentor of Saintess Ibril.
Only then did King Nelson understand why this bizarre man before him had pulled such a drastic stunt.
"What is that supposed to mean? Are you saying you'll hold the parents accountable for the child's crime?"
"Yes."
"That's absurd! The suspicion toward Ieria is merely suspicion, not a certainty! What kind of outrage is this!"
Every word was correct.
But that was their perspective.
It was a protest that had nothing to do with Adrian.
"That's none of my business. Sorry, but you'll have to come with me."
"What?"
"I intend to kidnap the two of you and negotiate with your son. If he wants his family alive, he'll release the Saintess."
Of course, no one would willingly comply with such an absurd demand.
The Aqua Knights, the pride of Coralheim, stood in the way with faces filled with fury, guarding their King and Queen.
"Don't kill if you can help it just subdue them."
But before the combat prowess of Arcia and the Blue Moon special-class agents, who sprang into action at Adrian's brief command, the Aqua Knights could not live up to their reputation.
"Got them."
And while the battle among the subordinates raged on.
Adrian subdued the King and Queen.
The King and Queen were also capable of handling 7th Circle water spirits, but they were no match for Adrian.
"This is absurd."
It was known that he was a Battle Mage who fought exceptionally well even among 7th Circle Grand Mages, but the combat ability Adrian displayed firsthand was nowhere near that level.
"Could he be 8th Circle...?"
King Nelson vaguely grasped Adrian's level, but soon lost consciousness to the overwhelming drowsiness that poured over him.
The surprise attack on Coralheim carried out by Adrian El Lawrence.
As a result, numerous royals, including King Nelson and the Queen, were kidnapped.
[Grand Duke Lawrence's rampage over the kidnapping of reserve saintess Ibril? Coralheim reduced to shambles in just 10 minutes.]
And that day.
As if making a statement, news of the incident spread across the entire world.