Chapter 179: Fallen City

“So that’s how it is. Seems this old man was meddling needlessly.”

Archbishop Canterbury sat back down in his stone chair, still smiling kindly, not a trace of irritation or regret on his face.

“Then, let’s return to the matter at hand, Your Majesty.”

He turned toward the Emperor lounging on his throne, narrowing his eyes slightly with a flash of sharpness within—asking the very question Celicia had also been {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} wanting to voice:

“What exactly do you intend to do, Your Majesty, by gathering all of us here?”

The moment he spoke, the entire hall—an austere blend of grotesqueness and cruel beauty—fell into silence. All the distinguished guests seated on the right side of the round table turned their gazes to Aldrich III.

And who could blame them? Because once the initial novelty wore off, they had all come to a horrifying realization...

Gathered at this round table now were over ten Crowned-tier powerhouses, leaders or core representatives of various major factions—along with the very bedrock of the Empire.

It was a lineup so terrifyingly extravagant that in the entire history of the Leopold Empire, there might never have been a gathering of this magnitude.

If the Pope or the rulers of the other great nations had also been invited, this very table could well determine the direction of the entire world.

“If everyone here were taken out in one strike, the Empire of Leopold would probably fall overnight.”

“No—what we should be worried about is, if the demons attack right now, a single Demon Archduke might be enough to take Belrand.”

“Heh. Let’s just hope the Duke of Campbell doesn’t drop the ball at the border.”

Though spoken like idle banter, the atmosphere only grew heavier.

Aldrich III remained silent, as if this were merely the calm before the storm.

“...So none of you noticed after all?”

After a long silence, Aldrich III let out a faint sigh.

He first turned to Archbishop Canterbury and asked softly:

“Archbishop—has the Holy City said nothing to you lately?”

“The Holy City? Naturally they’re busy fortifying themselves in preparation for... that matter.”

As he spoke, the Archbishop glanced behind Aldrich III and trailed off.

Aldrich waved his hand, motioning him to continue.

“It’s fine. Though this matter is still classified at the highest levels of the Empire, the secrecy has already been downgraded—no silent oaths required. And this hall is fully sealed with anti-divination curses. You can speak its name freely.”

“In that case, I’ll speak plainly.”

The Archbishop looked around at everyone and continued:

“I believe not just the Church—but every major faction, even the upper echelons of all nations, have their eyes on one thing...”

He clenched his fist and slammed it onto the table. Despite his thin, elderly appearance, his voice rang with unwavering force.

“—The Divine War between the Withering King and the Silent Moon!”

At the round table, only Celicia’s mind stirred with crashing waves. The expressions of the others did not change.

Because within certain circles, this was already an open secret. Most of them had spent recent weeks preparing for the unknown consequences of that god-level confrontation.

“Which is why, Your Majesty, I find your actions perplexing. At a time like this, the safest move should be to sit back and observe. Yet you’ve gathered all of us here... It gives me the sense that—”

The Archbishop narrowed his eyes, weighing his words:

“You intend to take us... to the heavens. To wage war against those two Evil Gods.”

“...”

The atmosphere froze.

Aldrich III quietly met the Archbishop’s gaze.

An uncanny silence fell upon the hall.

“Haha. You do know how to joke, Archbishop...”

Trying to ease the tension, the ever-diplomatic Adventurers’ Guild President, Adolf Lovis, stood up with a smile.

“There’s no way His Majesty would actually do something so outrageous. Fighting Evil Gods? That’d be like ordinary people jumping into a lion’s cage. I’m sure His Majesty just—hm? Your Majesty?”

Adolf noticed something wrong—his smile stiffened.

Because across the table, the representatives of the Empire’s core institutions—the department heads and commanders—were all grave and solemn.

Like parents attending a parent-teacher meeting after their kid scored last place. Not one smile. Only helpless dread.

But fighting Evil Gods... wasn’t that the most absurd joke in the world?

Wait...

You can’t be serious.

“Just as I thought.”

Gray mist churned, like the clouds forming in everyone’s minds. Aldrich III lowered his gaze, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.

“The Holy City’s vision... is still too high up.”

“And what do you mean by that, Your Majesty?”

The Archbishop still wore his gentle smile, but his ancient eyes now held a trace of displeasure. No matter how powerful an emperor, mocking the Holy City...

“Then just sit back and watch.”

Aldrich tapped the round table. “Hatherway.”

“Present.”

“You’ll explain it to them.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Hatherway stood.

Dressed in a sharp suit, short skirt, and black stockings, her mature aura instantly drew all attention.

“I’ve already introduced myself earlier, so I’ll be brief.”

She spoke crisply:

“First, let me ask you all a question. Where... do you think we are right now?”

“...That’s quite the question.”

Stone Cauldron Society’s alchemy master, Adrien, sneered. “Aren’t you the ones who invited us?”

Before arriving, they’d all received handwritten invitations from Aldrich III—along with rare scrolls inscribed with space-transfer magic.

After using the scrolls, they were teleported here—to this unfamiliar space. So really, they should be the ones asking.

“It must be a special dimensional space,”

Said the Grand Mage Dodge of the Origin Tower, gazing upward. With his vision, no flow of magic could escape detection—but here, all he felt was silence.

“And the structure resembles the royal throne hall,” Archbishop Canterbury added. “The details differ, but the framework is unmistakably similar.”

“And our senses are being suppressed.”

Adolf was growing visibly anxious. “It’s like something’s pressing down on us.”

All eyes turned back to Hatherway.

There was no point dragging this out further. It was time for answers.

“You’re correct. Strictly speaking, this is the throne hall—but not the one you know.”

Hatherway replied clearly:

“To help you understand more intuitively... I’ll let you see for yourselves.”

She raised one delicate hand and waved it overhead, as if wiping dust from a window.

The gray mist overhead began to stir, then rolled away—like a tide receding from shore.

But what it revealed was not the familiar dome of the throne hall.

It was—a city.

Above the mist, beneath a still, dark sky like a tranquil lake—

A grand, majestic city loomed...

Upside down.

Hanging inverted above them.