Water Magician-Chapter 632: Joint Conference of the Eastern Countries

Editor: Tseirp

The moment Ryo heard it, he bolted out.

Abel followed.

Ryo leapt down the stairs from the third floor, where the conference room was, all the way to the first floor in a single bound.

“No way!”

Abel shouted as he chased after him.

At the instant before he slammed into the first-floor landing, the Flight Ring he wore on his left arm gave off a pale glow, and a gust of wind blasted toward the ground.

It didn’t leave him unscathed, of course, but on landing, he spun once, converting his linear kinetic energy into rotational motion to dissipate it.

Because of that, Abel was able to burst out of the front entrance almost without leaving Ryo’s side.

What met them outside was a truly grisly sight.

Hundreds of bodies lay scattered across the ground.

Talismans floated around a single carriage, as if shielding it.

In front of the carriage stood a man.

His pale purple ceremonial robes were the formal wear of the grand duke’s younger brother.

His long black hair was tightly tied up and secured with a small crown that gave off a faint violet gleam.

Under normal circumstances, his face might be called handsome, but not now.

Cold.

If a single kanji could sum him up, it would be ‘cold’.

No emotion showed on his face — everything was proceeding exactly as expected, but with an air of displeasure… as if he were saying that without speaking.

Anyone who saw that scene would understand immediately.

Grand Duke Atinjo had been the target of the attack, but it had been completely foiled.

And the one who had stopped it was this man in purple.

Naturally.

He was one of the Ten Masters of the Southern Church of Sorcery… effectively the strongest of sorcerers.

The most formidable shield that protected his beloved older brother, Grand Duke Atinjo.

“Duke Helb…”

The name slipped from Abel’s lips before he could stop it, and for a moment it was as if time itself had moved.

“Ah, Abel-dono, Ryo-dono. I apologise for the worry.”

Helb’s voice and expression returned to their usual composure.

“Well, of course. You’d expect to leave your best trump card at the likely point of attack if you were anticipating an assault.”

Ryo let out a small sigh.

“No one expected something like this to actually happen. I couldn’t help but counterattack with all my strength… but it couldn’t be helped. After all, whoever draws a bow on a grand duke leaves no alternative but the severest punishment.” ṘÂ𐌽o͍₿Êṧ

Helb said it almost refreshingly, as if stating the obvious.

For him, this attack was likely a trifling matter.

There were several rebels and troublemakers — it’s simplest to deal with them all at once.

That was apparently how he saw it.

Helb straightened his clothing lightly, opened the carriage door, and said to the person inside,

“Brother, everything is in order.”

Then he fully opened the door.

A man descended slowly from the carriage.

Hair that must once have been black had turned completely white, though it was carefully tied up and fixed with a small golden crown.

His skin had no lustre; at first glance, he looked like a seriously ill man.

But his gaze was sharp.

His willpower was so intense that it could not be fully suppressed even if attempted.

The white hair stood out against the dark blue grand ducal formalwear, but once one met his face, all other features were forgotten by the force of his eyes.

That man was Grand Duke Atinjo.

Ryo and Abel watched as Grand Duke Atinjo and Duke Helb entered the council hall through the main entrance.

“Wasn’t there a document that said the grand duke and Duke Helb are fifteen years apart?”

“Yes. But still… Grand Duke Atinjo looks aged, doesn’t he?”

“He does. He looks about seventy.”

“But his gaze is sharp.”

“That’s true. Compared to everything else, it stands out even more.”

Both of them had a vague understanding.

He probably looked aged because he resisted being possessed by the phantom king or similar things every day.

Once they confirmed that Grand Duke Atinjo and Duke Helb had gone inside, Ryo and Abel also passed through the entrance.

“Helb really shows no mercy, huh. How many died out front?”

“Well, that’s probably why he let it play out. Let them attack, then wipe them out in one fell swoop. Helb’s not the kind to go easy.”

“That’s true… terrorism accomplishes nothing, but getting wiped out in return doesn’t accomplish anything either.”

Ryo said that and gave a small shake of his head.

Abel shrugged and said nothing.

He didn’t fully grasp the meaning of the word ‘terrorism’ yet.

“I hope the conference goes smoothly.”

“Out of the blue, huh?”

Ryo murmured, and Abel tilted his head in question.

“In my homeland, there’s a famous saying: ‘The congress dances, yet neither proceeds’.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Why would a meeting dance?”

“Well, they do hold proper meetings during the day, you see. But nothing gets decided… and then at night there’s a ball. Everyone looks so happy dancing there.”

“Why would they do that…?”

It was a remark that mocked the post-Napoleonic Congress of Vienna.

The conference had gathered the major rulers and monarchs of Europe… but due to various factors, the meetings dragged on endlessly.

Partly by design of Chancellor Metternich of Austria, who presided over it, the talks were intentionally prolonged…

“That conference brought together scores of monarchs, and it took about nine months to conclude the treaties. If this one goes the same way…”

“They can’t leave their countries unattended for that long.”

Abel frowned.

Ryo saw that and thought about it.

He had the impression Abel had been away from the kingdom for a long time… but he refrained from saying it aloud.

Neither had left the country willingly.

It was all the fault of the Djinn.

“Well, I’ve been away from the kingdom a long time too.”

“You really had to say that…?”

Abel muttered, and Ryo sighed.

“And here I was trying not to say it.”

“Well, the kingdom is fine while I’m gone. I’ve capable retainers.”

“Well, I can’t deny that.”

Having people you could leave things to with confidence was actually quite rare.

“By the way, in that roundtable earlier, Bol wasn’t there, was he?”

“Bol… I vaguely recall… Ah — the country that had its ship attacked by the ghost ship Ruri. Captain Gorick of the Lone Dark mentioned it. It’s an island nation, right?”

“That’s it. Maybe they were considered too far away.”

“Probably. Besides, I don’t think very small countries were invited. Even on the continent, there are small states, but it looked like only those we’ve heard of were present.”

“That’s true. From the archipelago region, only the Komakyuta Principality and the Suje Kingdom — both known as major powers — were invited.”

By necessity, they had probably invited only countries with a certain level of national strength.

Small states would be troubled if invited.

“It’s not discrimination.”

“No, of course not.”

“Think of the obligations that come with attending — just being invited is a burden. Attending this conference costs money. All of it is paid for by the taxes of the people.”

“For a small state, that could be a sizable expense.”

“It’s not the same as two people who rode Darwei’s ship here with three meals and naps included, taking a free ride without paying.”

“I’m curious what kind of feelings you have saying that line yourself.”

Both Ryo and Abel were being provided food… and more than that, for free.

When the two of them returned to the conference room, every seat except four was filled.

Two seats for Ryo and Abel representing the Knightley Kingdom.

Two seats for Grand Duke Atinjo and Duke Helb representing the Grand Duchy of Atinjo.

When Ryo and Abel sat, their eyes met Queen Iliaja of the Suje Kingdom.

Ryo gave a slight bow.

Queen Iliaja smiled warmly.

At last, the two hosts entered.

Grand Duke Atinjo and Duke Helb took the last two empty seats at the round table, and the conference finally began.

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