Arc 8: Vincent Vollachia
Arc 8, Chapter 30 "Bad News"
--The "Fortified City" Garkla is known as one of the five largest cities in the Vollachia Empire.
Located along the border between the neighboring Kingdom of Lugnica and the city-state of Kararagi, in effect two countries, Garkla is a strong defensive stronghold with a large mountain behind the city and several solid fortresses inside its defensive walls.
However, the legend of the city, heralded for its solidity, was destroyed at the hands of the Sin Archbishop of "Greed" who single-handedly attacked Garkla more than a decade ago.
The damage is the worst in the history of the empire, with the death of thousands of standing soldiers in the fortified city, the "eight-armed" Kurgan, who was called the strongest warrior in the Vollachia Empire, and the destruction of several fortresses.
Since then, the fortified city has been deeply scarred, and to this day, the entire city has not been fully restored and functional, and tensions between nations have remained high--.
"And that was the situation in the fortified city as far as the kingdom waaaas concerned."
At the far end of the city, a large fortress was carved out of the side of the adjacent Mount Guildray. Standing at the window of its conference room, Roswaal smiles as he takes in the panoramic view of the city.
The city has a well-stocked and spacious shelter where evacuees and soldiers who fled the capital for their lives are being housed, and they seem to be enjoying a sense of relief.
Below, the realization of the scene was made possible by the multiple fortifications that were erected during his lifetime, but not a single one of these structures was found to be in the process of being built.
"It's very different from what I've heard...... It was widely rumored that the fortified city was in the middle of reconstruction iiiin the Empire."
Not even the emperor's citizens, let alone people from other countries, are aware of the inner workings of the fortified city.
If any country had moved on the information that the fortified city was incomplete, it would have been greeted by an empire that was fully prepared.
He is impressed beyond dismay that the empire would utilize its own ugliness for the sake of war.
And then, there it was--,
"If that is the perception of the kingdom's foremost wizard, who bears the name, then it seems that our information control has been working well."
"I can't believe they would leave an audible and visible weak spot like that, right? I bow doooown to the Imperial Government's caaaarefulness."
A voice responded with admiration, and Roswaal turned around with a shrug of the shoulders. Standing in front of him was a gray-haired old man--the Imperial Prime Minister, Berstetz Fondalfon.
He was the one who helped break the deadlock during the recent attack in the dragon carriage.
At one point, he fell from the dragon carriage and was in danger of survival, but Frederica, who had been chasing the dragon carriage, rescued him just in time and they were able to join forces in the fortified city.
Nevertheless, it was not an unscathed return, even under the circumstances.
"How are you feeling? The burns were quiiite extensive."
"Thank you for your concern. Fortunately, she has the power of a healer, and she saved my life. She may be a little limber, but...... we'll be lucky to get past that."
"--. I see."
Berstetz, who tells the story, is holding a cane in one hand and is dragging his right leg.
No matter how great the effect of healing magic, it would take a miracle to produce results that greatly exceed the upper limit of the person's resilience.
Unfortunately, Berstetz's miracle seems to have ended when he picked up a life. The old man, however, seems to have taken even that as an excessive miracle.
In any case--,
"The casualties were minimal, and it was fortuitous that we were able to enter the fortress city without losing any significant forces. It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister is now crippled, but we could not have hoped for a better outcome."
This was stated by Serena, who was in the conference room with Roswaal.
She sits at one of the round tables in the center of the room, tracing the scar on her own face with her fingers, and pulls out the chair next to her for Berstetz.
With this uncharacteristic consideration, Berstetz bowed and took his seat.
"High Countess Dracroy's manner is impolite, but her gestures are considered ...... I am at a loss to decide what to think of you."
"Don't think too hard. Both of them are me. If this fortress were to crumble, I would run with the prime minister like a dead tree in my arms and give my honest opinion about the effort involved."
"I see. I have a hard time understanding."
This frankness makes Serena's charms all the more complex, but Berstetz's attitude in response also seems to have a certain air of detachment about it.
The attack of the "Poison Princess" led by a horde of dead flying dragons. In addition, the appearance of the "Three-Headed" Valgren, who had been stopped by the "Admirer" Halibel, was, to be honest, the worst thing that could have happened.
However, including the survival of Berstetz, the team has reached a miraculous settlement.
However, there are some controversial aspects regarding the way the miracle was performed.
"Are you sure about this for now? That Her Excellency Lamia will not be resurrected?"
Roswaal noticed the slight heat of Berstetz's question at the round table, which was not unlike them, but unlike Serena, he did not pursue it tactlessly.
Instead, Roswaal pulled back his chin,
"It seems that the other party has found a way to break the formula that combines the "Sacrament of the Immortal King" with restoration maaaagic. Princess Lamia Godwin was cut off from the means of revival by that method...... No, in this case..."
"Saved, perhaps, is a bit arrogant."
Serena mercilessly pointed out the parts she dared or hesitated to mention.
On this point, Roswaal does not have a clear answer. Roswaal does not know whether the living being that has come back to life as a corpse is welcome in and of itself.
If he were to give his personal opinion, he would not condemn the resurrection of life itself as evil. However, that state of being resurrected as a corpse would be--,
"--Saved, or liberated, you may say."
"Oh? I am surprised that you would say that, Prime Minister."
At Berstetz's words, Serena raises her eyebrows and murmurs with interest. At the look in her eyes, Berstetz, who had placed both hands on the butt of the cane's handle, let out a long breath,
"I don't think that Her Excellency Lamia would have approved of such a state of affairs. She must have known that she was defeated. .......It was an unwanted opportunity."
"So, you think she wanted to be killed? But it doesn't seem to make sense that they attacked us in such numbers."
"......but we still think your intentions were different."
Berstetz, with his threadbare eyes downcast, his heavy murmur was a wish that could not be hidden.
Roswaal felt that she could understand the feelings of Berstetz. Unfortunately, Serena, who was leaning on her cheekbones, did not seem to get it at all.
In any case, that is also very much part of the focus of the discussion.
"The enemy is powerful and the situation is in chaos. We must work together as one or we will be in danger, and this is not the time for us to be squabbling among ourselves."
"......I know what I'm talking about without being told."
Laughing a little, Roswaal calls out to the entrance of the conference room.
Just as he opened the door and peeked out, a dark-haired boy answered it with a bitter look on his face.
△▼△▼△▼△
"I know we haven't talked about this because of the emergency, but I'll share the information again. Louis, renamed Spica, was originally a Sin Archbishop for the Witch."
"Awh~!"
In the conference room of the fortress, at the very beginning of the discussion that had begun, Subaru confided without concealment the identity of Spica, who was standing by his side.
The side that had originally already known what was going on in the dragon carriage, of course quietly accepted the confession. On the other hand, the reaction of the unaware Imperial side was as expected.
Stupefaction and astonishment come first, and what comes next is a reaction whose nature remains the same whether the confession is true or a joke--namely, outrage.
"What, what are you saying? A Sin Archbishop?! That's impossible! Do you know that this is a fortified city?! This is a city that was once defeated by a Sin Archbishop!!"
Yes, it was Goz Ralphon who yelled even louder than usual.
Goz's cry was probably the consensus of those who had just heard the story for the first time, as he joined the meeting after having contributed greatly to the defense of the dragon carriage and having been treated for wounds he had sustained.
But this is not a joke or a game.
"I've heard about that asshole Regulus who went nuts in this town. If it's any consolation, we got that son of a bitch, so forget it."
'I don't give a damn about that spoiled idiot! What is important is the sinecure that the accursed title of Sin Archbishop holds! Do you understand that, sir?!"
"--I know."
Goz's voice was so loud that it caused wind and gave the illusion that he was about to be blown away. However, Subaru did not take a step back from Goz's angry voice and immediately responded to him head-on.
Even Goz's eyes widen in surprise when the child Subaru answers his question head-on.
"May I?"
And so, when Goz's momentum faltered, it was Berstetz who raised his hand instead. The Prime Minister looked at Subaru and Spica by his side with eyes as thin as thread,
"The fact that she went to the trouble of confiding this to us must be a sign that her presence and skills were considered necessary for future discussions. In other words, could it have something to do with the release of Her Excellency Lamia from the corpse?"
"Oh, yes. I'm glad we talked so quickly. After all, I almost didn't want Berstetz to die on his own."
Berstetz, who had guessed the approximate circumstances from the flow of the discussion, nodded his confirmation and affirmed it, and Subaru said so with a twitch.
During the battle of the dragon carriage, Berstetz confronted Lamia by himself and risked his life to have her and her part of the group excluded from the "Divine Protection of Wind Evasion". Nevertheless, this action itself was completely arbitrary, and he nearly lost his life.
"I beg you, please don't let even the smartest person be dyed in the imperial style. It's no great thing to accomplish something at the price of your life."
"Opinions may vary on the matter, but...... at least there's not much to be gained in exchange for his life. I know."
Berstetz says he is willing to give where he must, and stubborn where he cannot.
Subaru is of the same opinion, so it is likely that they will have a parallel line of thinking about the value of life. Subaru, however, has no intention of letting them become martyrs in style.
"So? As long as he affirmed the Prime Minister's question, there is no doubt that a girl of the Sin Archbishops had an extraordinary effect on the corpses. What on earth did she do?"
"It's hard to be specific about that......"
Serena, resting her cheek on the round table, puts her curiosity before her hostility toward Spica. She asks the obvious question, and Subaru glances at Spica.
The girl whose blue eyes twinkled in his gaze, and he lifted his clasped hand,
"I think Spica has the power of 'Gluttony' and can feed on the special powers of anyone she can name...... or something like that. That would nullify the unlimited resurrection of zombies' artifice."
"What, don't sugarcoat it. If you don't tell me what's going on, I'll be left feeling uneasy and not at ease at all."
"I'd like to be more persuasive and specific, too!"
Anastasia, who was supposed to be his ally, shot Subaru mercilessly in the back after he made a vague and forceful statement.
But it's a logic that deserves to be shot, and the content of the shot is inevitable to be fatal. On the other hand, it's also true that Subaru can only explain it that way.
"Either way, Subaru was right on target, in fact. The girl's powers of persuasion allowed the pesky princess zombie to escape, I suppose. That retreat was not a lie or a bluff, in fact."
"I agree with you, Beatrice. Besides, it is hard to believe that the 'The Pruning Corps'...... stepped up to the plate and helped buy time for the Emperor's retreat was a compromise in its strenuous efforts."
We both know that's a sentimental answer. But do you realize that it's a dangerous drug to use unless you're sure of its effectiveness...... which is only circumstantial?"
"That's...... of course I know that."
Even with the support of Beatrice and Julius, the validity of Anastasia's positive argument is unassailable.
The correctness of her argument is clear from the reaction of the imperial side, which must be newly persuaded. It is the empire that needs to be protected, but whether or not the Sin Archbishop is worth the risk he is taking on for that purpose, is a difficult decision to make, to say the least.
The two lights to resist the "Great Calamity" mentioned by Ubilk, the "Stargazer"--the survival of one half is hopeless, and in effect, the only one they can rely on is Spica.
The onslaught of attacking zombies, which Beatrice and her team's determined investigation revealed to be the application of the "Sacrament of the Immortal King" and restoration magic, brought Subaru's attention to the possibility of Spica.
The interference with the souls of the zombies using the authority of "Gluttony"--specifically, how the exercise of Spica's authority was carried out and resulted in the outcome is, as mentioned, unknown.
However, Lamia Godwin, the target of Spica's authority, her "name" has not been forgotten by Subaru and his friends, and neither has Abel, who was her half-sibling.
Lamia did not show any signs of amnesia when she left. Therefore, she had not been fed her "memory". --So, what did Spica eat?
In the current situation, there was no other choice but to put forward all kinds of wild theories about fate, causality, roles, and the abnormal conditions that were in effect at the time.
Of course, that's not convincing enough, and Anastasia's point is an understandable one.
"But this girl might be able to stop the other "zomby", right? I think that's reaaally important."
While Subaru was struggling with this, Emilia, who was seated at the round table, spoke up with a lowered eyebrow. Anastasia narrowed her pale blue eyes at Emilia's opinion.
"I'm not saying I don't understand your feelings, Emilia. I, too, am fed up with all the fuss about this 'great calamity' and I'm tempted to jump on the chance that we might win. But the power of the Sin Archbishop is just......"
"No, that's not it. Of course that's true, but...... I'm more interested in doing something about the fact that people who have died are 'zombys'."
"You want to do something about the zombies?"
"I don't know how to say this...... but I reaaally hate it when people who are no longer alive are being moved around like that. I'm sure Abel didn't want to see his sister like that. And Medium, too."
Eyes framed by long lashes, Emilia touches on the topic of Medium who is not here.
Her absence is largely a matter of current conditions rather than her exclusion from the meeting. --That is, because of the last corpse encountered in the dragon carriage.
Lamia was about to meet her demise after losing her power to multiply due to Spica's "Occultation". The corpse flying dragon that followed her call and recovered her and the flying dragon rider who turned into a corpse who manipulated it.
The person and the siblings Flop and Medium were apparently related before their deaths.
Shocked by the fact that someone close to her had become a corpse, and now that the crisis is over, Medium is holed up in a room in the fortress, not showing her face.
That event that the always upbeat and positive Medium had to be.
Subaru was also heartbroken, but he did not care for her as much as Emilia did. That is why, even after all this time, Emilia's words made him feel a sense of relief.
He was so focused on the threat of zombies that he couldn't even think about the grief it would cause him.
"......This is a little different from what Emilia thinks, but there is no doubt that those zombies are nasty things. They have been resurrected in an unnatural way to begin with. It would be too convenient for them to be free of defects."
While Subaru was embarrassed by Emilia's opinion, it was Otto who interrupted.
After watching the situation for a while, he looked up at the ceiling, leaning his back against the fortress wall,
"I doubt that zombies are just resurrected beings. So far many...... parts of the situation is that a lot of one woman showed up, but even ignoring that, I have seen many zombies. I don't think all of them had a grudge against His Excellency in life. As expected."
"Yes, indeed."
It should not be possible, I suppose."
Otto's interjected doubts and defenses, and a sense of last-minute trust made Subaru and the others nod their heads.
No matter how much Abel may have appeared to others as a pariah and extremely cold-blooded emperor, he was certainly an emperor who was not only resented but also respected.
Subaru has seen and heard about this unbelievable fact in the course of his walk through the empire so far.
In other words--,
"We must assume that the aggressive attitudes toward Vincent and the Vollachia Empire were implanted or amplified during the process of his reanimation as a zombie."
"You mean brainwashing. ......I think that is a valid point."
".......I heard from the soldiers fighting behind me that when one of their own is killed, he or she can turn into a zombie and attack them right away."
"They gagged and gagged as allies until just before, but attacked as soon as they turned into zombies, huh? Otto's assessment seems to be correct."
"-- Yes."
Otto, who expressed his personal opinion on zombies, responded curtly to Julius, who gave his opinion in the affirmative. Subaru raised his eyebrows at this wall-like response, but Julius and Anastasia did not seem bothered by it and accepted it naturally.
In any case--,
"Otto's opinion was that I had a conversation with the Prime Minister and High Countess Dracroy before you arrived. According to them...... you should not look so bad."
"The Prime Minister had the same opinion, saying he would delve into the relationship between Roswaal and the High Countess later on. Wouldn't you agree?"
Roswaal and Serena, both of whom directed water at the topic, nodded at Berstetz. He kept his hands on his cane and looked around at the participants in the meeting with threadbare eyes that made it difficult to read their gaze,
"Considering the character of Her Excellency Lamia, she would not wish for a second life, much less would she plan to overturn the death of her first life."
"So she was brainwashed to attack me in a crazy flippant way after all?"
"I think that's what we should think. ......Of course, it's possible that she didn't cut corners to test whether the current empire deserves to remain if she was resurrected and couldn't resist."
If so, the Vollachia royal family......!"
"It's an enthusiasm I wish you wouldn't do right now, in fact."
For some reason, Berstetz was proud of the fact that while he prefaced his decision with a decision he would not have made if he were normal, he could not deny the possibility that he might have made an abnormal decision even if the normal component remained.
In any case, they seem to share the opinion that zombie thinking is not normal.
"The zombies that come back to life will turn against us without exception. In that sense, as Emilia said, we want to stop the enemy's zombie attack as soon as possible. For that reason, Spica's power is indispensable. In reality, I don't think we can compromise on this."
"That many zombies? Do you really think we're going to go through the trouble of eating each and every one of them? If it's a real problem, I don't think we can ignore that either."
"If I have to, I'll do it. I didn't grab her hand because she was prepared to just take a bite of the good stuff and throw the rest away."
Squeezing Spica's hand, not just figuratively, Subaru declares to Otto.
At the sight of Subaru's eyes, Otto turned to Spica as if peering into his mind. A look of unrelenting suspicion, which Spica turned to face by squeezing Subaru's hand back,
"Auhaugh!"
So forcefully, she roared as if to appeal that she had made up her mind to go down the thorny road.
Hearing Spica's reply, Otto pulled his breath out through his nose,
"I'll tell you what, you can't talk me out of it. I don't have that much say in whether or not she will actually be included in the operation."
"Even if you don't have a voice in the meetings, you have a big presence among us. At least, if you can't convince your own people, how can you convince anyone else?"
"I see. Then perhaps I should have graded them a little harder."
Otto shrugs his shoulders in exasperation and replies, "Oh dear," but he has no intention of retracting his previous statement.
Perhaps, from his point of view, he was prepared to pull the same rope when he had Spica's "Occultation" used against Lamia in the battle of the dragon carriage.
Subaru just didn't want to check it out and leave it at that.
"You seem relieved, but you haven't convinced me yet, have you~?"
"Guh...... on the contrary, Anastasia, how can I convince you?"
Once a consensus is reached among the relatives, Anastasia stands in the way of a semi-intimate judgment.
At least, in this empire, she is a single-minded person, and she raises a finger to her lips in response to Subaru's bitter-faced question,
"I really want you to think about that yourself, too, but it's much better than just pouting and moaning over an answer you can't get. --First of all, we need to determine what the kid can do and, if possible, what the effects will be after she does it."
"What she can do and the subsequent effects......"
"What we can do is to make it impossible for the 'zomby' to get up again, right? But what about afterwards?"
"Both Natsuki and Emilia know what a terrible thing the power of 'Gluttony' is."
Anastasia's quiet point of view makes Subaru catch his breath and Emilia's eyes widen.
It is also, of course, something that cannot go untouched.
The power of "Glutton;y" and the victims it has brought are all over the world.
In this conference room alone, Emilia and Julius are there, and Rem is in the fortress. --No, everyone is a victim of "Gluttony" in the sense that it also affects those around them.
As long as we dare to use that authority, it is only natural to estimate the risk.
"......Everyone has forgotten about that increased number of girls so far, I suppose."
"That's right. But no one thinks they ate anything. It may not be a 'name' or a 'memory', but what happens to the child when that food accumulates?"
"It..."
"Natsuki said he was very suspicious of her, so what's to say she won't revert back to her old self?"
Anastasia's relentless pursuit, to which Subaru had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.
All they can do is pray, a baseless, emotional belief. A girl who was given a new name, Spica, instead of Louis Arneb, and chose to live a different life.
In a sense, they can say that this child has been born with this right, and that she will be led to the direction of the many people who will affirm that it is right.
"Lady Anastasia, I can tell you that it is impossible to be sure. Of course, I think we should remain vigilant......"
"I can't give you any proof that I'm not planning to do business that I don't have the money for. Then, at the very least, I'd like to have the certainty that I'm getting something in return for going down this dangerous road."
"So that's the finality of the results of the exercise of Miss Spica's authority?"
When Julius touched the wound under his left eye, Anastasia nodded briefly, "So."
Then she looks at Subaru and Spica, both of them together,
"No merchant would go to a business meeting with a treasure of uncertain value. If you don't know at least how it will be useful, your sales pitch will miss the point."
"You're right."
The fact that Lamia's attack was cut off probably confirms that she was able to defeat it.
However, the only other evidence is the oracle of Ubilk as a "stargazer" whose existence and words and actions are questionable. As long as the concerns cannot be resolved, Anastasia has more than conceded to this.
At the very least, they should all be convinced that the effect of Spica's "Occultation" is indeed on the zombies, if not in a way that they can agree on that--.
"--Unfortunately, I don't have the time to spend on verification."
Then a low voice jumped in, unceremoniously stirring the air of Subaru's inferiority.
All eyes immediately turned to Abel, the dark-haired, skinny man who appeared at the entrance to the conference room--he was supposed to be the star of the meeting, but showed up late.
With Flop and, for some reason, Jamal by his side, he proceeded leisurely and sat proudly at an empty seat at the round table without stopping.
And then--,
"What a stupid look on your face."
"I was surprised that you were so majestically late. I was told to go ahead and start, but what were you doing?""
"I needed to be sure of something as soon as possible. That was a large part of the reason for rushing him to the fortified city. --To determine the true meaning of the words left behind by the Great Nonsense."
Subaru hesitated to pursue the matter with Abel, who answered without offence.
He could imagine that the 'Great Nonsense' he spoke of was probably a subject who had brought down Abel in a deception and let him live, because he could imagine that he had been the one who had brought Abel down.
On the other hand, he was curious about the reason why they rushed to this fortified city.
"Is that the story Abel told you the reason there was such a stampede in this town?"
"Of course, we were in the most appropriate position to receive the evacuees."
"Can we cut the mundane talk and talk about it? What did you mean earlier when you said you didn't have time?"
Questions from both Emilia and Anastasia are directed to Abel.
The same question is asked by everyone in the conference room. Abel closed one eye and tapped the round table with his finger in response to a look that questioned the truth of his statement.
A hard sound echoes, and the consciousness of Subaru and the others is undeniably focused on his hand.
"I'll put it simply. What I wanted to confirm in this fortified city was...... only to confirm the whereabouts and condition of the great imperial spirit 'stone block' that is linked to the four great spirits outside the sacred region there."
"Four great spirits...... the four great spirits?"
"Yes."
Suddenly, unexpected information pops up and Subaru's eyes blink repeatedly.
As for the four great spirits, they are beings that he was taught about again when he first came to this other world, and again when he made a contract with Beatrice and became a genie magician.
The spirit among the most powerful spirits in the world--although the credibility of the spirit seems doubtful when that blurry rat-colored cat is mixed in one of the corners.
"So you had the whereabouts of Muspel, one of the four great 'stone blocks' in the empire!"
"I-Is that really such a surprise?"
"Of course. The 'Street Devil' of the city-states and the 'Holy Beast' of the Holy Kingdom are both held in unshakable faith and reverence in their respective countries. The 'Stone Block' is a being of similar power."
"If we could form a cooperative relationship with the four great spirits, that would be a national disaster...... and a lot more important than the lie that the fortified city is being rebuilt."
When Julius and Anastasia told Subaru of the seriousness of the situation one after the other, Subaru could do nothing but blink his eyes in honest surprise.
However, since no one's correction was entered and Emilia and Beatrice are looking somewhat proud of themselves, it seems certain that the perception is correct.
The problem is--,
"If you rushed to the fortified city to check on the whereabouts and condition of the 'stone block', does that mean the Great Spirit is here? Certainly, it would be a great help to us if we could borrow its power......"
Spica's "Occultation" alone is not enough to deal with the inexhaustible number of enemies that are springing up.
Naturally, it was better to have as much strength as possible to hold off the zombie onslaught until the "Occultation" could be detonated. Or, just as the pack was more specialized in area attacks than Emilia was in her current state, the "stone block" was also a reliable force.
"I'm sorry, but things don't work that way. You all remember that His Excellency told me earlier that he didn't have much time, don't you?"
"Flop?"
Subaru's positive thoughts were halted by Flop, who shook his head loosely.
Like Medium, he always maintains a cheerful and positive attitude, but now his expression is tightened and he is saying these words with a serious look on his face.
For whatever reason, he accompanied Abel and saw the same thing as the emperor. If that is the expression on Flop's face, who shared his conclusion a step earlier than Subaru and the others--,
"You can't count on the help of the 'stone block' as you expect. On the contrary, the existence of the 'stone block' has become an advantage for the other party's...... 'Great Calamity'".
"What do you mean? The Great Spirit is--"
"It is in the hands of the enemy. Perhaps the 'Great Calamity' is using its substandard mana to raise an inexhaustible number of corpses from their graves, so they will continue to spring up without end. Hence, they will continue to spring up without end."
"----"
"And then--"
Subaru's eyes widen at the worst report, and he looks at Abel in disbelief as he tries to continue. But that did not deter him from speaking.
In the tense air of the conference room, Abel continues without stopping.
It is--,
"The word 'endless' is not quite accurate. No matter how much mana the 'stone block' has, it will eventually run out. When it runs out, the land of the empire will come to an end. --The power that sustains the land of Vollachia, the sacred space protected by the 'stone block', will be lost, and it will not be able to avoid crumbling.
--It was truly a bad news itself, announcing the identity of the 'Great Calamity' that would destroy the empire.
Arc 8, Chapter 30 "Bad News"
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--The "Fortified City" Garkla is known as one of the five largest cities in the Vollachia Empire.
Located along the border between the neighboring Kingdom of Lugnica and the city-state of Kararagi, in effect two countries, Garkla is a strong defensive stronghold with a large mountain behind the city and several solid fortresses inside its defensive walls.
However, the legend of the city, heralded for its solidity, was destroyed at the hands of the Sin Archbishop of "Greed" who single-handedly attacked Garkla more than a decade ago.
The damage is the worst in the history of the empire, with the death of thousands of standing soldiers in the fortified city, the "eight-armed" Kurgan, who was called the strongest warrior in the Vollachia Empire, and the destruction of several fortresses.
Since then, the fortified city has been deeply scarred, and to this day, the entire city has not been fully restored and functional, and tensions between nations have remained high--.
"And that was the situation in the fortified city as far as the kingdom waaaas concerned."
At the far end of the city, a large fortress was carved out of the side of the adjacent Mount Guildray. Standing at the window of its conference room, Roswaal smiles as he takes in the panoramic view of the city.
The city has a well-stocked and spacious shelter where evacuees and soldiers who fled the capital for their lives are being housed, and they seem to be enjoying a sense of relief.
Below, the realization of the scene was made possible by the multiple fortifications that were erected during his lifetime, but not a single one of these structures was found to be in the process of being built.
"It's very different from what I've heard...... It was widely rumored that the fortified city was in the middle of reconstruction iiiin the Empire."
Not even the emperor's citizens, let alone people from other countries, are aware of the inner workings of the fortified city.
If any country had moved on the information that the fortified city was incomplete, it would have been greeted by an empire that was fully prepared.
He is impressed beyond dismay that the empire would utilize its own ugliness for the sake of war.
And then, there it was--,
"If that is the perception of the kingdom's foremost wizard, who bears the name, then it seems that our information control has been working well."
"I can't believe they would leave an audible and visible weak spot like that, right? I bow doooown to the Imperial Government's caaaarefulness."
A voice responded with admiration, and Roswaal turned around with a shrug of the shoulders. Standing in front of him was a gray-haired old man--the Imperial Prime Minister, Berstetz Fondalfon.
He was the one who helped break the deadlock during the recent attack in the dragon carriage.
At one point, he fell from the dragon carriage and was in danger of survival, but Frederica, who had been chasing the dragon carriage, rescued him just in time and they were able to join forces in the fortified city.
Nevertheless, it was not an unscathed return, even under the circumstances.
"How are you feeling? The burns were quiiite extensive."
"Thank you for your concern. Fortunately, she has the power of a healer, and she saved my life. She may be a little limber, but...... we'll be lucky to get past that."
"--. I see."
Berstetz, who tells the story, is holding a cane in one hand and is dragging his right leg.
No matter how great the effect of healing magic, it would take a miracle to produce results that greatly exceed the upper limit of the person's resilience.
Unfortunately, Berstetz's miracle seems to have ended when he picked up a life. The old man, however, seems to have taken even that as an excessive miracle.
In any case--,
"The casualties were minimal, and it was fortuitous that we were able to enter the fortress city without losing any significant forces. It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister is now crippled, but we could not have hoped for a better outcome."
This was stated by Serena, who was in the conference room with Roswaal.
She sits at one of the round tables in the center of the room, tracing the scar on her own face with her fingers, and pulls out the chair next to her for Berstetz.
With this uncharacteristic consideration, Berstetz bowed and took his seat.
"High Countess Dracroy's manner is impolite, but her gestures are considered ...... I am at a loss to decide what to think of you."
"Don't think too hard. Both of them are me. If this fortress were to crumble, I would run with the prime minister like a dead tree in my arms and give my honest opinion about the effort involved."
"I see. I have a hard time understanding."
This frankness makes Serena's charms all the more complex, but Berstetz's attitude in response also seems to have a certain air of detachment about it.
The attack of the "Poison Princess" led by a horde of dead flying dragons. In addition, the appearance of the "Three-Headed" Valgren, who had been stopped by the "Admirer" Halibel, was, to be honest, the worst thing that could have happened.
However, including the survival of Berstetz, the team has reached a miraculous settlement.
However, there are some controversial aspects regarding the way the miracle was performed.
"Are you sure about this for now? That Her Excellency Lamia will not be resurrected?"
Roswaal noticed the slight heat of Berstetz's question at the round table, which was not unlike them, but unlike Serena, he did not pursue it tactlessly.
Instead, Roswaal pulled back his chin,
"It seems that the other party has found a way to break the formula that combines the "Sacrament of the Immortal King" with restoration maaaagic. Princess Lamia Godwin was cut off from the means of revival by that method...... No, in this case..."
"Saved, perhaps, is a bit arrogant."
Serena mercilessly pointed out the parts she dared or hesitated to mention.
On this point, Roswaal does not have a clear answer. Roswaal does not know whether the living being that has come back to life as a corpse is welcome in and of itself.
If he were to give his personal opinion, he would not condemn the resurrection of life itself as evil. However, that state of being resurrected as a corpse would be--,
"--Saved, or liberated, you may say."
"Oh? I am surprised that you would say that, Prime Minister."
At Berstetz's words, Serena raises her eyebrows and murmurs with interest. At the look in her eyes, Berstetz, who had placed both hands on the butt of the cane's handle, let out a long breath,
"I don't think that Her Excellency Lamia would have approved of such a state of affairs. She must have known that she was defeated. .......It was an unwanted opportunity."
"So, you think she wanted to be killed? But it doesn't seem to make sense that they attacked us in such numbers."
"......but we still think your intentions were different."
Berstetz, with his threadbare eyes downcast, his heavy murmur was a wish that could not be hidden.
Roswaal felt that she could understand the feelings of Berstetz. Unfortunately, Serena, who was leaning on her cheekbones, did not seem to get it at all.
In any case, that is also very much part of the focus of the discussion.
"The enemy is powerful and the situation is in chaos. We must work together as one or we will be in danger, and this is not the time for us to be squabbling among ourselves."
"......I know what I'm talking about without being told."
Laughing a little, Roswaal calls out to the entrance of the conference room.
Just as he opened the door and peeked out, a dark-haired boy answered it with a bitter look on his face.
△▼△▼△▼△
"I know we haven't talked about this because of the emergency, but I'll share the information again. Louis, renamed Spica, was originally a Sin Archbishop for the Witch."
"Awh~!"
In the conference room of the fortress, at the very beginning of the discussion that had begun, Subaru confided without concealment the identity of Spica, who was standing by his side.
The side that had originally already known what was going on in the dragon carriage, of course quietly accepted the confession. On the other hand, the reaction of the unaware Imperial side was as expected.
Stupefaction and astonishment come first, and what comes next is a reaction whose nature remains the same whether the confession is true or a joke--namely, outrage.
"What, what are you saying? A Sin Archbishop?! That's impossible! Do you know that this is a fortified city?! This is a city that was once defeated by a Sin Archbishop!!"
Yes, it was Goz Ralphon who yelled even louder than usual.
Goz's cry was probably the consensus of those who had just heard the story for the first time, as he joined the meeting after having contributed greatly to the defense of the dragon carriage and having been treated for wounds he had sustained.
But this is not a joke or a game.
"I've heard about that asshole Regulus who went nuts in this town. If it's any consolation, we got that son of a bitch, so forget it."
'I don't give a damn about that spoiled idiot! What is important is the sinecure that the accursed title of Sin Archbishop holds! Do you understand that, sir?!"
"--I know."
Goz's voice was so loud that it caused wind and gave the illusion that he was about to be blown away. However, Subaru did not take a step back from Goz's angry voice and immediately responded to him head-on.
Even Goz's eyes widen in surprise when the child Subaru answers his question head-on.
"May I?"
And so, when Goz's momentum faltered, it was Berstetz who raised his hand instead. The Prime Minister looked at Subaru and Spica by his side with eyes as thin as thread,
"The fact that she went to the trouble of confiding this to us must be a sign that her presence and skills were considered necessary for future discussions. In other words, could it have something to do with the release of Her Excellency Lamia from the corpse?"
"Oh, yes. I'm glad we talked so quickly. After all, I almost didn't want Berstetz to die on his own."
Berstetz, who had guessed the approximate circumstances from the flow of the discussion, nodded his confirmation and affirmed it, and Subaru said so with a twitch.
During the battle of the dragon carriage, Berstetz confronted Lamia by himself and risked his life to have her and her part of the group excluded from the "Divine Protection of Wind Evasion". Nevertheless, this action itself was completely arbitrary, and he nearly lost his life.
"I beg you, please don't let even the smartest person be dyed in the imperial style. It's no great thing to accomplish something at the price of your life."
"Opinions may vary on the matter, but...... at least there's not much to be gained in exchange for his life. I know."
Berstetz says he is willing to give where he must, and stubborn where he cannot.
Subaru is of the same opinion, so it is likely that they will have a parallel line of thinking about the value of life. Subaru, however, has no intention of letting them become martyrs in style.
"So? As long as he affirmed the Prime Minister's question, there is no doubt that a girl of the Sin Archbishops had an extraordinary effect on the corpses. What on earth did she do?"
"It's hard to be specific about that......"
Serena, resting her cheek on the round table, puts her curiosity before her hostility toward Spica. She asks the obvious question, and Subaru glances at Spica.
The girl whose blue eyes twinkled in his gaze, and he lifted his clasped hand,
"I think Spica has the power of 'Gluttony' and can feed on the special powers of anyone she can name...... or something like that. That would nullify the unlimited resurrection of zombies' artifice."
"What, don't sugarcoat it. If you don't tell me what's going on, I'll be left feeling uneasy and not at ease at all."
"I'd like to be more persuasive and specific, too!"
Anastasia, who was supposed to be his ally, shot Subaru mercilessly in the back after he made a vague and forceful statement.
But it's a logic that deserves to be shot, and the content of the shot is inevitable to be fatal. On the other hand, it's also true that Subaru can only explain it that way.
"Either way, Subaru was right on target, in fact. The girl's powers of persuasion allowed the pesky princess zombie to escape, I suppose. That retreat was not a lie or a bluff, in fact."
"I agree with you, Beatrice. Besides, it is hard to believe that the 'The Pruning Corps'...... stepped up to the plate and helped buy time for the Emperor's retreat was a compromise in its strenuous efforts."
We both know that's a sentimental answer. But do you realize that it's a dangerous drug to use unless you're sure of its effectiveness...... which is only circumstantial?"
"That's...... of course I know that."
Even with the support of Beatrice and Julius, the validity of Anastasia's positive argument is unassailable.
The correctness of her argument is clear from the reaction of the imperial side, which must be newly persuaded. It is the empire that needs to be protected, but whether or not the Sin Archbishop is worth the risk he is taking on for that purpose, is a difficult decision to make, to say the least.
The two lights to resist the "Great Calamity" mentioned by Ubilk, the "Stargazer"--the survival of one half is hopeless, and in effect, the only one they can rely on is Spica.
The onslaught of attacking zombies, which Beatrice and her team's determined investigation revealed to be the application of the "Sacrament of the Immortal King" and restoration magic, brought Subaru's attention to the possibility of Spica.
The interference with the souls of the zombies using the authority of "Gluttony"--specifically, how the exercise of Spica's authority was carried out and resulted in the outcome is, as mentioned, unknown.
However, Lamia Godwin, the target of Spica's authority, her "name" has not been forgotten by Subaru and his friends, and neither has Abel, who was her half-sibling.
Lamia did not show any signs of amnesia when she left. Therefore, she had not been fed her "memory". --So, what did Spica eat?
In the current situation, there was no other choice but to put forward all kinds of wild theories about fate, causality, roles, and the abnormal conditions that were in effect at the time.
Of course, that's not convincing enough, and Anastasia's point is an understandable one.
"But this girl might be able to stop the other "zomby", right? I think that's reaaally important."
While Subaru was struggling with this, Emilia, who was seated at the round table, spoke up with a lowered eyebrow. Anastasia narrowed her pale blue eyes at Emilia's opinion.
"I'm not saying I don't understand your feelings, Emilia. I, too, am fed up with all the fuss about this 'great calamity' and I'm tempted to jump on the chance that we might win. But the power of the Sin Archbishop is just......"
"No, that's not it. Of course that's true, but...... I'm more interested in doing something about the fact that people who have died are 'zombys'."
"You want to do something about the zombies?"
"I don't know how to say this...... but I reaaally hate it when people who are no longer alive are being moved around like that. I'm sure Abel didn't want to see his sister like that. And Medium, too."
Eyes framed by long lashes, Emilia touches on the topic of Medium who is not here.
Her absence is largely a matter of current conditions rather than her exclusion from the meeting. --That is, because of the last corpse encountered in the dragon carriage.
Lamia was about to meet her demise after losing her power to multiply due to Spica's "Occultation". The corpse flying dragon that followed her call and recovered her and the flying dragon rider who turned into a corpse who manipulated it.
The person and the siblings Flop and Medium were apparently related before their deaths.
Shocked by the fact that someone close to her had become a corpse, and now that the crisis is over, Medium is holed up in a room in the fortress, not showing her face.
That event that the always upbeat and positive Medium had to be.
Subaru was also heartbroken, but he did not care for her as much as Emilia did. That is why, even after all this time, Emilia's words made him feel a sense of relief.
He was so focused on the threat of zombies that he couldn't even think about the grief it would cause him.
"......This is a little different from what Emilia thinks, but there is no doubt that those zombies are nasty things. They have been resurrected in an unnatural way to begin with. It would be too convenient for them to be free of defects."
While Subaru was embarrassed by Emilia's opinion, it was Otto who interrupted.
After watching the situation for a while, he looked up at the ceiling, leaning his back against the fortress wall,
"I doubt that zombies are just resurrected beings. So far many...... parts of the situation is that a lot of one woman showed up, but even ignoring that, I have seen many zombies. I don't think all of them had a grudge against His Excellency in life. As expected."
"Yes, indeed."
It should not be possible, I suppose."
Otto's interjected doubts and defenses, and a sense of last-minute trust made Subaru and the others nod their heads.
No matter how much Abel may have appeared to others as a pariah and extremely cold-blooded emperor, he was certainly an emperor who was not only resented but also respected.
Subaru has seen and heard about this unbelievable fact in the course of his walk through the empire so far.
In other words--,
"We must assume that the aggressive attitudes toward Vincent and the Vollachia Empire were implanted or amplified during the process of his reanimation as a zombie."
"You mean brainwashing. ......I think that is a valid point."
".......I heard from the soldiers fighting behind me that when one of their own is killed, he or she can turn into a zombie and attack them right away."
"They gagged and gagged as allies until just before, but attacked as soon as they turned into zombies, huh? Otto's assessment seems to be correct."
"-- Yes."
Otto, who expressed his personal opinion on zombies, responded curtly to Julius, who gave his opinion in the affirmative. Subaru raised his eyebrows at this wall-like response, but Julius and Anastasia did not seem bothered by it and accepted it naturally.
In any case--,
"Otto's opinion was that I had a conversation with the Prime Minister and High Countess Dracroy before you arrived. According to them...... you should not look so bad."
"The Prime Minister had the same opinion, saying he would delve into the relationship between Roswaal and the High Countess later on. Wouldn't you agree?"
Roswaal and Serena, both of whom directed water at the topic, nodded at Berstetz. He kept his hands on his cane and looked around at the participants in the meeting with threadbare eyes that made it difficult to read their gaze,
"Considering the character of Her Excellency Lamia, she would not wish for a second life, much less would she plan to overturn the death of her first life."
"So she was brainwashed to attack me in a crazy flippant way after all?"
"I think that's what we should think. ......Of course, it's possible that she didn't cut corners to test whether the current empire deserves to remain if she was resurrected and couldn't resist."
If so, the Vollachia royal family......!"
"It's an enthusiasm I wish you wouldn't do right now, in fact."
For some reason, Berstetz was proud of the fact that while he prefaced his decision with a decision he would not have made if he were normal, he could not deny the possibility that he might have made an abnormal decision even if the normal component remained.
In any case, they seem to share the opinion that zombie thinking is not normal.
"The zombies that come back to life will turn against us without exception. In that sense, as Emilia said, we want to stop the enemy's zombie attack as soon as possible. For that reason, Spica's power is indispensable. In reality, I don't think we can compromise on this."
"That many zombies? Do you really think we're going to go through the trouble of eating each and every one of them? If it's a real problem, I don't think we can ignore that either."
"If I have to, I'll do it. I didn't grab her hand because she was prepared to just take a bite of the good stuff and throw the rest away."
Squeezing Spica's hand, not just figuratively, Subaru declares to Otto.
At the sight of Subaru's eyes, Otto turned to Spica as if peering into his mind. A look of unrelenting suspicion, which Spica turned to face by squeezing Subaru's hand back,
"Auhaugh!"
So forcefully, she roared as if to appeal that she had made up her mind to go down the thorny road.
Hearing Spica's reply, Otto pulled his breath out through his nose,
"I'll tell you what, you can't talk me out of it. I don't have that much say in whether or not she will actually be included in the operation."
"Even if you don't have a voice in the meetings, you have a big presence among us. At least, if you can't convince your own people, how can you convince anyone else?"
"I see. Then perhaps I should have graded them a little harder."
Otto shrugs his shoulders in exasperation and replies, "Oh dear," but he has no intention of retracting his previous statement.
Perhaps, from his point of view, he was prepared to pull the same rope when he had Spica's "Occultation" used against Lamia in the battle of the dragon carriage.
Subaru just didn't want to check it out and leave it at that.
"You seem relieved, but you haven't convinced me yet, have you~?"
"Guh...... on the contrary, Anastasia, how can I convince you?"
Once a consensus is reached among the relatives, Anastasia stands in the way of a semi-intimate judgment.
At least, in this empire, she is a single-minded person, and she raises a finger to her lips in response to Subaru's bitter-faced question,
"I really want you to think about that yourself, too, but it's much better than just pouting and moaning over an answer you can't get. --First of all, we need to determine what the kid can do and, if possible, what the effects will be after she does it."
"What she can do and the subsequent effects......"
"What we can do is to make it impossible for the 'zomby' to get up again, right? But what about afterwards?"
"Both Natsuki and Emilia know what a terrible thing the power of 'Gluttony' is."
Anastasia's quiet point of view makes Subaru catch his breath and Emilia's eyes widen.
It is also, of course, something that cannot go untouched.
The power of "Glutton;y" and the victims it has brought are all over the world.
In this conference room alone, Emilia and Julius are there, and Rem is in the fortress. --No, everyone is a victim of "Gluttony" in the sense that it also affects those around them.
As long as we dare to use that authority, it is only natural to estimate the risk.
"......Everyone has forgotten about that increased number of girls so far, I suppose."
"That's right. But no one thinks they ate anything. It may not be a 'name' or a 'memory', but what happens to the child when that food accumulates?"
"It..."
"Natsuki said he was very suspicious of her, so what's to say she won't revert back to her old self?"
Anastasia's relentless pursuit, to which Subaru had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.
All they can do is pray, a baseless, emotional belief. A girl who was given a new name, Spica, instead of Louis Arneb, and chose to live a different life.
In a sense, they can say that this child has been born with this right, and that she will be led to the direction of the many people who will affirm that it is right.
"Lady Anastasia, I can tell you that it is impossible to be sure. Of course, I think we should remain vigilant......"
"I can't give you any proof that I'm not planning to do business that I don't have the money for. Then, at the very least, I'd like to have the certainty that I'm getting something in return for going down this dangerous road."
"So that's the finality of the results of the exercise of Miss Spica's authority?"
When Julius touched the wound under his left eye, Anastasia nodded briefly, "So."
Then she looks at Subaru and Spica, both of them together,
"No merchant would go to a business meeting with a treasure of uncertain value. If you don't know at least how it will be useful, your sales pitch will miss the point."
"You're right."
The fact that Lamia's attack was cut off probably confirms that she was able to defeat it.
However, the only other evidence is the oracle of Ubilk as a "stargazer" whose existence and words and actions are questionable. As long as the concerns cannot be resolved, Anastasia has more than conceded to this.
At the very least, they should all be convinced that the effect of Spica's "Occultation" is indeed on the zombies, if not in a way that they can agree on that--.
"--Unfortunately, I don't have the time to spend on verification."
Then a low voice jumped in, unceremoniously stirring the air of Subaru's inferiority.
All eyes immediately turned to Abel, the dark-haired, skinny man who appeared at the entrance to the conference room--he was supposed to be the star of the meeting, but showed up late.
With Flop and, for some reason, Jamal by his side, he proceeded leisurely and sat proudly at an empty seat at the round table without stopping.
And then--,
"What a stupid look on your face."
"I was surprised that you were so majestically late. I was told to go ahead and start, but what were you doing?""
"I needed to be sure of something as soon as possible. That was a large part of the reason for rushing him to the fortified city. --To determine the true meaning of the words left behind by the Great Nonsense."
Subaru hesitated to pursue the matter with Abel, who answered without offence.
He could imagine that the 'Great Nonsense' he spoke of was probably a subject who had brought down Abel in a deception and let him live, because he could imagine that he had been the one who had brought Abel down.
On the other hand, he was curious about the reason why they rushed to this fortified city.
"Is that the story Abel told you the reason there was such a stampede in this town?"
"Of course, we were in the most appropriate position to receive the evacuees."
"Can we cut the mundane talk and talk about it? What did you mean earlier when you said you didn't have time?"
Questions from both Emilia and Anastasia are directed to Abel.
The same question is asked by everyone in the conference room. Abel closed one eye and tapped the round table with his finger in response to a look that questioned the truth of his statement.
A hard sound echoes, and the consciousness of Subaru and the others is undeniably focused on his hand.
"I'll put it simply. What I wanted to confirm in this fortified city was...... only to confirm the whereabouts and condition of the great imperial spirit 'stone block' that is linked to the four great spirits outside the sacred region there."
"Four great spirits...... the four great spirits?"
"Yes."
Suddenly, unexpected information pops up and Subaru's eyes blink repeatedly.
As for the four great spirits, they are beings that he was taught about again when he first came to this other world, and again when he made a contract with Beatrice and became a genie magician.
The spirit among the most powerful spirits in the world--although the credibility of the spirit seems doubtful when that blurry rat-colored cat is mixed in one of the corners.
"So you had the whereabouts of Muspel, one of the four great 'stone blocks' in the empire!"
"I-Is that really such a surprise?"
"Of course. The 'Street Devil' of the city-states and the 'Holy Beast' of the Holy Kingdom are both held in unshakable faith and reverence in their respective countries. The 'Stone Block' is a being of similar power."
"If we could form a cooperative relationship with the four great spirits, that would be a national disaster...... and a lot more important than the lie that the fortified city is being rebuilt."
When Julius and Anastasia told Subaru of the seriousness of the situation one after the other, Subaru could do nothing but blink his eyes in honest surprise.
However, since no one's correction was entered and Emilia and Beatrice are looking somewhat proud of themselves, it seems certain that the perception is correct.
The problem is--,
"If you rushed to the fortified city to check on the whereabouts and condition of the 'stone block', does that mean the Great Spirit is here? Certainly, it would be a great help to us if we could borrow its power......"
Spica's "Occultation" alone is not enough to deal with the inexhaustible number of enemies that are springing up.
Naturally, it was better to have as much strength as possible to hold off the zombie onslaught until the "Occultation" could be detonated. Or, just as the pack was more specialized in area attacks than Emilia was in her current state, the "stone block" was also a reliable force.
"I'm sorry, but things don't work that way. You all remember that His Excellency told me earlier that he didn't have much time, don't you?"
"Flop?"
Subaru's positive thoughts were halted by Flop, who shook his head loosely.
Like Medium, he always maintains a cheerful and positive attitude, but now his expression is tightened and he is saying these words with a serious look on his face.
For whatever reason, he accompanied Abel and saw the same thing as the emperor. If that is the expression on Flop's face, who shared his conclusion a step earlier than Subaru and the others--,
"You can't count on the help of the 'stone block' as you expect. On the contrary, the existence of the 'stone block' has become an advantage for the other party's...... 'Great Calamity'".
"What do you mean? The Great Spirit is--"
"It is in the hands of the enemy. Perhaps the 'Great Calamity' is using its substandard mana to raise an inexhaustible number of corpses from their graves, so they will continue to spring up without end. Hence, they will continue to spring up without end."
"----"
"And then--"
Subaru's eyes widen at the worst report, and he looks at Abel in disbelief as he tries to continue. But that did not deter him from speaking.
In the tense air of the conference room, Abel continues without stopping.
It is--,
"The word 'endless' is not quite accurate. No matter how much mana the 'stone block' has, it will eventually run out. When it runs out, the land of the empire will come to an end. --The power that sustains the land of Vollachia, the sacred space protected by the 'stone block', will be lost, and it will not be able to avoid crumbling.
--It was truly a bad news itself, announcing the identity of the 'Great Calamity' that would destroy the empire.