After some time of running through the cutting winds, he forgot the pain of his wounds. His legs were heavy, his shoulders were leaden, and he couldn’t run straight, but Orphen didn’t stop. The shock of committing murder had long since passed. He still didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop.
He never lost sight of his destination. He was headed for the tents of the wounded, where he’d sent Majic back. No, maybe he had changed direction at some point without realizing it. It was taking too long to get back there. Or was the damage to his body too great, and he could no longer run adequately?
He sent oxygen to his lungs, which felt like they were on the verge of bursting, again and again, but his feverish vision never settled into something more stable. The palpitations swinging through his body only grew more intense. He was starting to feel like if he kept running, he’d either run out of strength and collapse, or he’d explode in every different direction.
Orphen suddenly sensed a presence and stopped. He caught his breath instantly and readied himself for combat. His senses, spread thin, reached out in awareness of the presence.
Standing there was a man in a black cloak. He stood there, his black hair swaying in the night air, staring at Orphen with eyes the same color as that darkness.
A mouth that didn’t move very much—scarred lips—told him, “That’s right. The power that your mind has to control your body is always at that level.” His tone softened some and he added, “I can’t say with much confidence anymore...that I could beat you.”
“Why do I have to fight you?” Orphen asked him, but the man just shrugged.
“Who knows.”
Colgon. Orphen named the man to himself. The reason he didn’t say it out loud was because he didn’t know what name he should actually call the man by. Maybe it was because he hadn’t heard what name the man would call him yet.
He’d gone into a fighting stance reflexively, so if he didn’t sense any hostility from the man in front of him, then he could just relax. He knew that, but his fists stayed clenched. He didn’t actually have the self-control the other man said he did, he thought with some irony.
Yuis Els Ito Egum Ed Colgon. He bared an arm from under his cloak and indicated himself, saying, “Just so you know, I’m not actually there. This is a fake I’ve sent to you using the Network.”
“...You can do that?”
“The current master of the Network isn’t interfering with every little thing I do...out of fear of me.”
Orphen knew he wasn’t boasting. Colgon had simply won and was utilizing his natural rights as the victor.
“You abducted Lottecia, didn’t you? Why?”
“I don’t mind explaining, but I don’t really see what it has to do with you.”
“Is there anything I’m not involved in at this point?” Orphen spat, irritated, and tried to step forward, but...
“Don’t move any closer. Have you not realized?” Colgon asked. “If you take another step, the spirit sorcery barrier will fling you far away. You won’t be hurt, but we’ll both feel rather foolish as you make your way back here.”
It irked him to heed the man’s warning, but Orphen stopped nonetheless. So he was staring at Colgon’s fake image with the spirit sorcery barrier between the two of them.
The fake slowly continued, “I’ll spare you the details, but Lottecia is an artificial human created by the sanctuary. The same way Damian created the lord.”
“Huh...?” Orphen grunted, not expecting to hear anything like that.
Colgon continued matter-of-factly, “She was made to operate a certain device in the sanctuary. I’m guessing the lord has filled you in somewhat about that...”
“The Second World-Seeing Tower?”
“That’s right. No one can see into the outside world from inside this continent—in order to accurately summon Demon King Swedenborge from outside the barrier, a summoner who can detect and predict the future is needed.”
“You knew that, and that’s why you got close to Lottecia?!” Orphen shouted.
“No. I only learned that recently. But it can hardly be called a coincidence. After all, I was investigating Doppel X at my lord’s request and it was a Doppel X, Beedo Crewbstar, who smuggled Lottecia out of the sanctuary.”
“I’ve told you this before, but I don’t understand a single thing you’ve ever done.”
“Maybe so, but isn’t that the same for everyone? What about Pluto? He brought his people here prepared for every single one of them to die on the battlefield, and when he changed his mind and decided to send the wounded back to the capital so that they might live, this happened instead.”
The man’s calm tone was enraging Orphen, but he squeezed a response out all the same, though his shaking voice was almost drowned out by the wind around them. “You came here...just to tell me that?”
“No. I’ve completed all my preparations, so it’s about time for you to do your part.”
“Your preparations?” Orphen’s sweat was starting to cool on his skin.
Colgon was just as indifferent and honest as always. “That’s right. While you and the Thirteen Apostles were occupying the priestesses’ attention, I took control of a vital part of the sanctuary.”
“What?”
“But I’m still lacking in the necessary components to take real action... If you come to the sanctuary, they should fall into my hands, though.”
“What are you talking about?” He was a broken record, but he didn’t understand any of this. He felt his self-restraint crumbling. He wasn’t even able to suppress his emotions in front of Colgon, but the other man spoke in a controlled way as if to prevent Orphen from collapsing.
“I can’t tell you that. It’ll be too much trouble if you use it to stop me.”
“Why would I stop you?”
“Because you probably won’t agree with what I’m about to do.”
“What are you gonna do?!” He didn’t step forward, but he thrust all his emotions out before him.
The barrier wouldn’t even allow his thorns through—or maybe it was just pointless to direct a thing like that at a sorcerer like Colgon. He turned around, completely unperturbed, and seemed to listen to something whispered to him. That’s what the movement made Orphen think, at least.
Then he turned back to Orphen and said, “Hmm... Maybe telling you would make your movements more predictable to me.”
“Is someone there with you?” Orphen asked to hide his annoyance.
Colgon nodded easily to this question, at least. “Yes.”
“Who? Lottecia?”
“Yes, that’s here as well.”
“There’s someone else?” It felt unexpected, probably because Orphen was so used to the idea of Colgon being alone from his time at the Tower. He was going to ask something else, but Orphen stopped himself. Depending on the situation, this was information that he should probably pay attention to. “Who’s there with you? You said you took control of a vital part of the sanctuary?”
If Pluto had already made it to the sanctuary, there was a chance they were working together. If that was the case, then it was possible he could confirm that Claiomh and Leki were safe.
But the name that came out of Colgon’s mouth was the last one he expected to hear.
“Heartia’s here. He’d been locked away until now, but I broke him out.”
“Heartia...?” The first thing that came to mind wasn’t the man he’d reunited with half a year earlier in Totokanta but the stupid face of the boy he’d known in his student years.
Colgon seemed to read his mind and turned back to him. “Yes. That stupid face. It’s polished to perfection now.”
“...”
“It’s completely natural. That’s not something you can teach someone— Hmm. Wait one moment.” Colgon raised a hand in a signal to stop.