Matan’s Shooter

Alongside Cardinal Romero, there were two more NPC cardinals included in the Conclave voting for the new Pope.

One was from Tusculani, who had been brought down by Kijung, and the other was Parnese.

“But the faction was too small to be considered significant—how did they establish themselves so quickly?”

“Politics always follow power. When the Tusculani faction came to an end, the cardinals who were pushed out were looking for a new center of gravity. Aside from His Holiness, the only one with an established faction was Parnese.”

How much time and effort did it take to build a faction?

Although Parnese had received fewer than ten votes in the Conclave, absorbing the scattered remnants of the Tusculani faction wasn’t a difficult task, given the existing foundation.

Kijung nodded as he listened to Raphaela’s explanation.

Raphaela burst into laughter at Kijung’s student-like expression, as if he was attending a lecture.

“I see. Then what about the current dynamics?”

“Currently, the Nine-member Cardinal Committee—’C9’—comprises three Pope Faction cardinals, one neutral, and five Anti-Pope Parnese faction cardinals.”

“… So there aren’t even four Pope Faction cardinals.”

“There’s a rising faction for a third force. Ah, you could say the role Parnese played between Romero and Tusculani has been taken over by a new NPC.”

Middle Earth desired a three-way battle!

In other words, Parnese had assumed the role of the old Tusculani, while the new, smaller faction of cardinals had taken on the role of Parnese. The intention to have factions constantly checking each other and forcing players into endless tightrope walking to enhance the game’s difficulty and enjoyment was understandable.

“… So what should we do?”

The problem was that the difficulty had increased so much that it was hard to keep up.

Kijung sighed deeply.

Raphaela didn’t find it easy either.

Despite being affiliated with Minis due to her “Saintess” nickname, she had many acquaintances among Ezwen’s users and NPCs.

Right after Kijung requested, she used all her information-gathering skills to grasp the current situation, but it felt as overwhelming as it did for Kijung.

“For the upcoming election, it’s predicted that one Pope Faction position will decrease while one Parnese faction position will increase. If that happens, as His Holiness mentioned to Master Kay, the dynamic would shift to 3:6. And the cardinal strongly being pushed by the Parnese faction is Cardinal Sergio.”

“Sergio…”

Kijung bit his lower lip upon hearing the name.

An exemplary NPC who became a cardinal despite looking as young as Kijung.

When reporting the full resurrection of Tiamat to the Pope, he was the foremost in criticizing Kijung.

His logical completeness and drive from his young and brilliant mind was enough to awe even the Pope Faction cardinals, and Kijung knew this well.

“Master Kay probably knows how remarkable he is, huh? Anyway, if the dynamic breaks down that much, the neutral cardinals won’t try to maintain the balance by sticking with the Pope Faction faction. If they completely side with Parnese…”

In the worst case, the result could be a 2:7 dynamic.

What if Parnese gained not only the majority but also exceeded the two-thirds support?

As Kijung held his breath, Raphaela spoke in a very low voice.

“Pope Urban II would become a puppet. There’s even a risk of His Holiness taking a mid-term retirement, despite the lifetime tenure of the Pope position.”

The immediate issue wasn’t about whether Kijung could become a C9 elected cardinal.

If those corrupting Ezwen from within were allowed to spread, all the efforts of the users who had built rapport with the current Pope could go down the drain.

‘Not just me… Leeha hyung would be affected too?’

Kijung swallowed dryly. To think this incident could become so monumental!

He somewhat regretted confidently stepping forward based on his achievements. Raphaela detected this subtle change in atmosphere.

She smiled faintly.

“Therefore, ensuring that Master Kay is elected as part of ‘C9’ is crucial. Of course, the strong competition would be Sergio. Additionally, convincing the neutral cardinals not to side with the Anti-Pope faction and causing an incident that would significantly impact the entire Parnese faction is important. If that happens, it won’t just be a 5:4 reversal but potentially greater. The most critical part is addressing all three issues simultaneously…”

“Can we do it? I’d rather fight Ghibrid; this is…”

Kijung scratched his head vigorously.

With Raphaela’s help, he understood the dynamics. He had set goals on what needed to be done. However, the approach remained unclear.

Raphaela smiled encouragingly.

“You can do it. I’ll help. Since it’s a Conclave, you must exert influence over the cardinals, which takes time and effort… But with C9, influence and popularity among ordinary believers will have a significant impact. With the combined strength of the ‘Exorcism Cardinal’ and the ‘Saintess’, it’s not impossible.”

“Ah, ah! That’s right! It’s not a vote among cardinals!?”

A voting system different from Conclave!

Raphaela aimed to dive into that very niche.

Since many users among the general congregation held a significant presence, the impact could be substantial if two already renowned users campaigned together.

“Raphaela… I am so moved—”

“And once Master Kay ascends to C9, we can naturally intervene in the position of Grand Abbess of Minis.”

“—What? Oh? B-but I was talking about the diocesan position in Fibiel—”

“Ha, that’s not a very valuable position! You can’t compare a regular abbey to a ‘Grand’ abbey! It’s only natural that my nation, Minis, is better! I’ll thoroughly devote all my fame and connections to this matter! If things go well, I might even become the first female Cardinal! If not, I’ll secure the position of Grand Abbess of Minis! At the very least, you must guarantee me the Grand Abbess position of Fibiel!”

Who could possibly call her a Saintess?

Raphaela’s eyes blazed with the same intensity as the “King Maker”, the seasoned election strategist.

Though a sense of unease swept over Kijung with thoughts like ‘Isn’t this something we better avoid?’, it concurrently burgeoned into immense trust.

This wasn’t one-sided; it was a mutual exchange, making it a mere transaction. And transactions that followed a ‘post-pay’ system were always welcome.

“Alright, let’s do it.”

Kijung extended his hand.

“48 days and 7 hours left until the vote. I’ll definitely secure a spot for Master Kay in the ‘9 Cardinal Committee.'”

Raphaela grasped his hand.

The two individuals, aiming for the first-ever user member of C9, beyond Middle Earth’s first user Cardinal, exchanged determined glances.

* * *

『Ha Leeha ultimately didn’t manage to get the key to Laputa.』

“Hmm… So there’s still a hurdle to cross.”

『According to Blaugrunn, that’s the case.』

Alexander felt relieved as he listened to Bailephus.

After all, he faced something more pressing than a trip to Laputa.

“Are there five Chromatic Dragons in total?”

『No. I wouldn’t be able to sense the aura of Onyx either. There may be Chromatic Clans with powers similar to mine, so it’s more conservative to estimate seven. There’s a high possibility of a 2:7 battle.』

As they discussed the movements of the Chromatic Dragons, Alexander and Bailephus flew towards the southeastern region of Minis.

They had already entered the ‘territory’ of the dragons and were aware that their actions were being monitored.

“If Onyx gathers all the dragons he has collected so far—”

『It won’t be 2:7 but rather 2:15, or even more.』

“Huh, it’s been a while since I’ve felt the thrill of a fight.”

『Are you confident, partner? Onyx and the Chromatic Clans are not to be underestimated.』

While Bailephus voiced his concern, Alexander merely tensed up but remained unafraid.

He wouldn’t have come this far if he lacked confidence.

The number one ranked user was opting for the surest and easiest way to stop Tiamat.

“I am aware. But we don’t need to kill all the Chromatic Dragons. We only have to target one.”

『Indeed.』

Just killing Onyx would suffice.

Then, at least, the Chromatic Dragons wouldn’t consider crossing over to the New Continent to meet Tiamat.

Tiamat, alongside Bluebeard and Ghibrid, posed a great danger.

If the Chromatic Dragons crossed the sea in large numbers, they might discover a way to make the incomplete Tiamat whole again.

In such a case, it would be better to lure Tiamat to the Old Continent.

At least Bluebeard and Ghibrid wouldn’t be able to recklessly come here.

When Tiamat crossed to the Old Continent alone, Alexander planned to gather the full force of the Metal Clans to eliminate the incomplete dragon.

“Shall we begin then?”

『I haven’t unleashed a breath in another dragon’s territory in ages.』

“Huh. I will execute justice.”

─────────────…….

When chunks of mana began gathering fiercely in front of Bailephus’s mouth, flashes of light sparkled from various places.

It was because the chromatic dragons who had already been watching them hurriedly appeared.

『”K

『”How dare you intrude here, filthy metallic trash!”』

『”Ancient Dragon Bailephus! Have you truly lost your mind?!”』

The chromatic dragons roared as they revealed themselves.

Seven in total, not counting Onyx, appeared with dazzling brilliance.

There were even two ancient-level dragons with power similar to Bailephus. This fight was not going to be easy by any means.

“We first evade and buy some time, Bailephus.”

Pwahaaaa─

The white-fire breath of the ancient gold dragon spewed out.

The chromatic dragons that had been flying toward Alexander hurriedly switched to evasive maneuvers.

The dragons chased after them swiftly.

Although a sudden aerial battle broke out above Minis, neither side suffered significant damage.

Although breaths were expelled and magic was used, they either dodged or ignored it, and direct clashes were rare.

This was a fortunate situation for the Alexander and Bailephus combo.

Their target was solely Onyx! They were not engaging in an all-out war with these dragons.

The plan was to lure Onyx out, use the 〈Fusion〉 skill, and quickly destroy Onyx’s dragon heart.

Their plan seemed to be going smoothly. At least, attracting the attention of the chromatic dragons and luring them here was going according to plan.

『”The dragons are gathering, Alexander.”』

“Hmm… but Onyx is not showing up. Do we need to cause more havoc?”

However, even after 30 minutes of aerial combat, onyx had not appeared.

The initial seven chromatic dragons had now increased to eleven.

Alexander and Bailephus had been working together for so long that they almost felt like one. It was impossible for one or two regular dragons to chase them effectively.

But when the number grew over ten, problems started arising even with their evasive maneuvers.

No matter how quickly and erratically they flew, magic attacks were launched from five different directions, and two or three of them even had homing capabilities.

Boom──,

The magic used by the chromatic dragons struck Bailephus’s barrier. 〈Absolute Barrier〉 was already showing cracks.

『”It’s only a matter of time before the barrier collapses. What will you do, Alexander?”』

“Kuhm… We can’t use Fusion now. There’s no point in revealing our cards before Onyx shows up!”

『”But without Fusion, it will be impossible to hold out any longer.”』

They couldn’t effectively counterattack.

If they focused on counterattacking, their movement would be limited, and even if they managed to kill a few adult-level chromatic dragons, Alexander and Bailephus would be in grave danger.

Knowing this fact was why they had been solely stalling for time until now! Alexander glanced around in frustration.

“… Didn’t they say Onyx is a dragon who loves to take action? Even though we’ve come into his territory, why hasn’t he shown himself?”

『”… I don’t know either. He is a cunning dragon, and even if he thought this was a trap, I expected him to appear to kill me regardless!”』

Bailephus was an ancient-level dragon referred to as ‘Elder’ among the Metallic Dragon lineage.

The chromatic dragons also knew this.

So, if Bailephus appeared alone without backup, considering the impact of his magic as well as his voice on the Metallic Dragon lineage, onyx should have taken the risk to come out.

Even if he thought it was a trap, it was this terrifying trait of Onyx to show up with enough force to crush the trap entirely.

Alexander too had judged this based on the information he had heard from Bahamut and Bailephus.

‘But why… does he already know my plan? No, even if he just judged it as a secret skill, he should have shown up if he’s an AI.’

────────

Another spell struck Bailephus’s barrier.