Chapter 899 – #196_Cataclysm(2)
#893
One.
The Great Council of Gehenna was reconvened less than a day after it had been dissolved.
The Gehenna witches did not show much interest in the march of the homunculus corps.
However, this was not an issue that could be easily overlooked.
Gehenna has its own self-sufficient system in terms of daily necessities, but much of its luxuries depend on the world.
Also, there were not a few witches who had businesses in the present world.
If the exploits turn the world into an asarifan, the damage and inconvenience are passed on intact.
But more than anything else, the reason why the witch lifted her heavy hips was that the ‘door’ of Border Town was closed.
Since the founding of Gehenna under the leadership of Duke Keter, the gates have never been closed.
Recently, maintenance work has become more frequent and restrictions have been placed on entry and exit, but that was a completely different case from this time as it was limited to passage under the supervision of the immigration office.
In an unprecedented situation, the Great Hall of the Tree of Sephiroth was crowded like never before.
All the aristocrats residing inside Gehenna gathered together, and all the witches of other schools took their seats.
“These crazy bitches are crossing the line.”
“That must mean we looked ridiculous.”
“Then, was the Homunculus Corps a diversionary operation? The timing is odd to be a coincidence.”
“Are you planning on starting a war?”
“Under… My business is also in Boston, so that shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
“I have an item that was supposed to be delivered today, but I missed it…”
“Did Duke Keter really die?”
Not a single witch has a smile on her face in her many facets.
The sound of displeased conversation echoed through the meeting room.
There is an unwritten rule in witch society.
A mystery will remain a mystery.
The rules that Duke Keter created while walking the path of bloody purges were still being followed even after her death was handed down.
This is because Gehenna was created over 500 years ago, and the majority of witches agreed to Kether’s method.
However, Hexsenacht broke it at will.
Most of the witches of Gehenna have little interest in the present world, but their loathing and contempt for her exploits is palpable.
He wasn’t even considerate enough to condone the tyranny of the city built by his achievements.
“Duke Erelim is entering.”
Duke Erelim, who was in charge of the role of the chairman of the great meeting in the venue with a hideous atmosphere, entered with his followers.
Sitting in her seat, she opened her mouth slowly, with an expression that did not feel the slightest agitation.
“Sorry for not being on time. Attendance was delayed because the Immigration Office received and reviewed information about the ‘door’.”
“Is the closing of the door an act of Hexsenacht?”
“How long can recovery be possible?”
“We have received the last report that homunculi have been observed by humans in the present world. Is it true?”
“Why did you attack the American fleet?”
Relim opened her mouth as she silently listened to her questions that started pouring out.
“I will answer you one by one. The door’s shutdown is not directly related to Hexsenacht.”
“You mean there are indirect effects?”
“When Keter first created Gehenna as a pocket dimension through the ‘door’, it was created on the premise of her witch’s ‘mystery’. But now, the mystery of her witch has been broken. A far greater number of humans than was supposed were aware of her witchy existence.”
Magic is the study of exploring the settings of the world and using symbols.
However, the existence of witches who were separated from humans due to the Hexennacht attack was revealed to the world.
The door doesn’t work properly because the premise itself that ‘magic is a mysterious existence’ has changed.
“We started to work on the restoration as soon as possible. As this is an unprecedented improvement project, it is expected to take about one to two months.
Also, according to intelligence from an informant planted in Hexsenacht before the gate was fully closed, it appears that the gate to Hexsenacht has also been closed. It’s very likely that you couldn’t have imagined a situation like this.”
Count Zemanai, who was carefully examining the report handed out by Duke Erelim, asked.
“Why did you do this? I really want… Are you trying to conquer the world?”
“The dissatisfaction that had been suppressed by Kether was no longer able to withstand the pressure. It was a set sequence. The witch’s power is more than enough to become the ruler of this world early on.”
After the brief report on the current status, the topic of discussion quickly moved on to the next issue.
To sum up, how will you respond now that the homunculus has attacked humans directly?
There was also a discussion about whether it would be okay to leave Hexsenacht as it is.
Count Yesod came first.
“All we can do is protect humans and minimize the damage. As soon as we are contacted, we should cooperate with the current Emergency Response Headquarters and consider effective countermeasures until then.”
“There is a great concern that Hexsennacht will use a hasty response to achieve another goal. We have to approach it carefully.”
A lot of opinions came and went, but in terms of the main stem, it was two-pronged.
“It is enough as it is now. We witches don’t have to do anything for humans. If the situation worsens, it is not too late to deal with it then.”
As you can easily predict by looking at Gehenna first, about half of the witches hold conservative opinions.
“Isn’t indifference to the present world what created the current situation in the first place? It may not have a big impact now, but if Hexsenacht’s self-indulgence is passed, there will be even more provocations than this. It looks like we need a suitable restraint right now.”
“I think we should issue a statement to warn that Hexsenacht will never go into action again, and express our intention to go to war if it crosses the line further.”
“Since the rules created by Keter have been explicitly broken, we need to lead the new laws. Wicked exploits will destroy order beyond anything we can imagine.”
On the other side are the witches who actively support Gehenna and suggest that the system of the world itself should be rewritten.
Her opinion that she will no longer be silent is blooming quite a bit.
“Your opinions have been heard.”
The turmoil subsides when the Duke of Erelim makes a fortune.
In the absence of Duke Kether, the most influential person in Gehenna is, no matter what, the Duke of Erelim.
Unlike the Emerald Tablet or other academic societies where a free-spirited atmosphere is respected, the hierarchical order of the Jinri Jinmyeong Conference is quite clear.
It was safe to say that the will of the head, Duke Erelim, represented the opinions of the majority of witches belonging to the Society.
“First, I would like to start with a very old story. Her witch of creation used her own heritage to create her homunculus. In the early days, the homunculus gained power by eating her witches, but later began to cause large and small disasters in the present world.
And as soon as the existence of witches was announced in the present world, homunculi appeared before humans. Do you know what this means?”
After a moment of silence, Erelim continued.
“This is an intentional arrangement. The Witch of Creation foresaw that human existence would one day become a threat to her. To find the clue, it must be the moment when humans peel off the veil of ‘mystery’.”
“That! It is an absurd speculation!”
The witches understood Duke Erelim’s intentions.
And immediately there was a backlash.
So now, the sage of Gehenna is saying that the Witch of Creation intentionally planted flaws in the homunculus in order to contain and exclude humans.
But what is a witch?
A pilgrim who escapes from the bonds of humanity and walks the path of magic.
She is a transcendental person who performs miracles just by opening her lips.
The fact that the Witch of Creation, who stood at the pinnacle, was afraid of humans was nothing more than an absurd delusion that could not even be taken as a joke.
“I too am afraid of humans.”
However, Duke Erelim’s expression did not change despite the protests and snorts.
“I fear the folly and cruelty of man, his ambition and nature to conquer all in sight.”
“The fleet that the humans counted as the best in the world was helpless by a 22nd rank witch. Are you still holding on to that thought while looking at it?”
“1,100 years. These are the years I’ve been watching humans. Just a few hundred years ago, humans were uncivilized beings. The technology they espoused as science was a primitive product based on little mathematical knowledge and observations. But what about now?”
“…”
“They are communicating in real time from across the continent. Their ride, which was nothing more than taming a wild horse, traveled the land faster than a horse, crossed the sea, crossed the sky, and finally reached the universe.
Their most powerful weapons are already rivaling the Archwitch’s magic, and even now the gap between science and magic is closing. Highly developed science is no different from magic.”
“Even so…”
“Should we have pity on humans just because their abilities are not up to those of witches right now?
The number of humans killed by the feat and the homunculus?
I assure you, that would be less than 1% of the number of humans killing humans.
If you look at the history that has not passed 200 years right now, humans have treated hundreds of thousands of the same human beings as beasts, treated them like livestock, and executed them for the reason that their skin color was different.
Then, was the end just?
Thanks to the Nazis bearing the cross of imperialism, the countries that used to promote the ideology of imperialism were exonerated of moral responsibility and reborn as the real world powerhouse.
Are these hypocrites weaklings to be pitied?
Where will the arrow of cruelty go when a human who has conquered his fellow human beings, conquered a nation, and conquered nature surpasses a witch? Even at that time, will Hexennacht be our main enemy of Gehenna?”
“Are you saying that Hexenacht and Homunculus might be necessary evils that suppress human forces?”
After taking a deep breath, Duke Erelim opened his mouth again and calmly put his own conclusions in his mouth.
“I will not say that we must persecute men. In addition, I believe that Hexsennacht’s self-indulgence should not be overlooked.
However, it is not necessary to wage an all-out war to maintain the current regime. It is my conclusion that Gehenna should exert its influence in a passive manner only in areas where Gehenna is currently influencing, and take an active advantage in relations with humans.”
