SWNOVELXO Chapter 398
“The Dimensional Gate.”
At the mere mention of that word, which had sparked such horrific disasters in their history, everyone turned their serious faces toward Lakia.
The weight of the term “Dimensional Gate,” combined with Lakia’s calm demeanor even amidst such shocking circumstances, created an unspoken pressure among the group.
In fact, Kurt thought she was just pretending to be emotionless out of embarrassment for confusing “Dimensional Gate” with “Sky Gate.”
“Is the Spine Empire planning to reclaim the glories of the Ancient Empire again? That can’t happen!”
“But that impossible thing has actually happened once on this land. So, if it were to happen again, it wouldn’t be surprising at all.”
“But even that Ancient Empire was destroyed after carelessly opening a Dimensional Gate. No matter how powerful the Spine Empire is, its strength pales in comparison to that of the Ancient Empire. Do they seriously believe they can control a Dimensional Gate? That’s just reckless!”
“Reckless things often seem foolish to those around, but the ones doing them rarely realize how reckless they are.”
Yeah, just like how an ancient nation thought it was feasible to supply a million-strong army, despite the fact that such a feat was beyond the capability of their time.
But the reason such stories could be left as jokes was because they were merely tales from a history unrelated to oneself.
Even though the fall of the Ancient Empire was shocking, it was just a story from a distant past that had already crumbled.
However, the situation Kurt and his party were currently facing was not some long-forgotten history.
“B-but the prophecy could be wrong, right? It’s not set in stone that something like that will happen…”
“Of course, it could be wrong. I’m a third-rate prophet at best. The foresight of a third-rate prophet is merely a glance at the largest shard of possibility among countless futures.”
At those words, the faces of the party members momentarily brightened.
But that bright expression didn’t last long.
“So…! You mean it could be a mistake after all!”
“However, while the future is uncertain and changeable, the present is not.”
“Huh…?”
“We can’t know if the flower rooted in the fields will bloom in the summer or wither without blooming. But one thing’s for sure: if you don’t plant the seeds, you can’t bloom or wither.”
Upon hearing her words, a few in the party recognized the hidden meaning and stiffened their expressions.
If she saw a future where the Dimensional Gate was opened, then in the future, the gate could either open or not. But that only meant their plans might succeed or fail regardless. The fact that they were currently scheming and executing plans to open the Dimensional Gate was independent of how likely the prophecy would materialize.
It goes without saying that for any plan to even have a chance of success, it needs to be executed, not just left as a plan. If you don’t execute the plan, no matter how likely it is to succeed, it won’t happen.
If there’s even a possibility of that plan being successful, it means the Spine Empire is indeed planning to open the Dimensional Gate and has already begun executing those plans.
“Huh? Why suddenly talk about flowers…? Kurt, what does that mean?”
“…Just something. I’ll explain later.”
“Hmph.”
Of course, not everyone understood the underlying meaning, but the fact that the empire was indeed planning to attempt opening a Dimensional Gate was a truth they couldn’t deny.
In fact, that uncertainty over whether it would definitely happen weighed even heavier than a 100% assurance.
Though it was hard to accept, eventually, they accepted Lakia’s words, and among them, those from the Holy Kingdom began devising strategies to respond to the situation.
“…Archbishop, for now, we must command the special saintesses and holy knights deployed worldwide to return and summon our forces.”
“But if we mobilize a large military force all at once, the Spine Empire will notice that the Holy Kingdom has caught on to their plans. Furthermore, not only the Spine Empire but other nations will enter a state of tension, putting international relations in an unnecessary state of anxiety.”
“However, given that Bishop Gelatino has already been captured, it’s only a matter of time before the Spine Empire realizes. Moreover, considering the danger if they do open the Dimensional Gate, we have no choice but to endure the anxiety in international relations.”
Bishop Lynette advocated for immediate military mobilization, while Archbishop Tierra pushed for caution. However, Tierra knew it already.
If Lakia’s foresight was true, the time for caution had passed.
She was just afraid to announce the start of a war that would lead to countless lives being lost, using her own hands and words.
But if she were merely a kind elf, she wouldn’t have been able to maintain the position of Archbishop of the Holy Kingdom for 500 years. Acknowledging she couldn’t postpone her duties any longer while speaking with Lynette, she eventually agreed with Lynette’s proposal.
No, she made the necessary choice.
“…Understood. I’ll issue a command for the special saintesses deployed around the world to return immediately. And I’ll investigate the truth of this prophet’s words, and if it’s confirmed to be true, then we will prepare for war….”
Thus, the planning of warfare within a vacation villa of the Holy Kingdom, in a restaurant no less.
The war between nations.
Perhaps the spark that could overturn the entire world was igniting right here. Kurt’s party realized the tremendous impact of the information they had brought, their expressions heavy, while Daria, Aila, Azani, and Nisa — the ones who would have to stand on the front lines during the impending war — even appeared slightly pale.
And then it happened.
“Wait, there’s no need to prepare for war.”
Lakia interrupted the conversation once more.
“We’re going to go there.”
“You are… no, you all? What do you mean by that?”
“Preparing for war can wait until after we’ve failed when we get there.”
“Are you saying you can stop the Spine Empire’s scheme?”
“I can’t guarantee it. It’s just one possibility among many for the future.”
In response to Tierra’s question, Lakia replied without certainty once again.
But saying it was just one possibility conversely implied there is a chance they could stop the Spine Empire’s scheme.
She couldn’t assert it would definitely be 100, but she could at least ensure it would never be 0.
“Do you have a way to do that?”
“Yes, indeed. If I didn’t, I would have headed toward the Holy Kingdom, not Astram, from the start.”
The disaster that would occur when the Spine Empire opened the Dimensional Gate was so immense that it could be regarded as a catastrophe beyond any natural disaster.
Even though such a massive calamity was foreseen, the reason she hadn’t headed straight to the Holy Kingdom but towards Astram was that the ‘key’ to solving that disaster lay within Astram.
Lakia said this while looking at her companions, specifically Kurt, Mari, Karina, and Serena.
“W-we… have a way of stopping the Spine Empire…?”
“This is the first I’m hearing of it…”
“Yeah. Just said it now.”
“Oh, I see.”
“This is truly the first time I’m hearing about it.”
Indeed, including Kurt, his party had absolutely no clue what she was talking about, let alone about the content of the prophecy—this was all new information.
“Is that also what you saw in the foresight?”
“To be precise, it’s a possibility.”
“…Understood. Then, I feel I have no choice but to ask you all to stop the Spine Empire’s scheme.”
“Archbishop! Handing something as crucial as the Dimensional Gate problem over to just a handful of adventurers is…!”
“It’s fine. The orders for the special saintesses and holy knights to return will proceed as planned. However, even if we hurry, it will take some time to summon the soldiers and ascertain the truth of the prophecy. In comparison, a small elite group of adventurers could reach the Spine Empire before we even mobilize our forces. So if the prophet’s team can thwart the empire’s scheme before we mobilize, that’s for the best. If they can’t stop it, we will prepare for war as scheduled.”
“…Understood. I will follow the Archbishop’s will.”
As this conversation slowly approached its end, Archbishop Tierra let out a heavy sigh that seemed to age her a hundred years in just a moment.
“Hah… Seriously, this talk is way too heavy for just popping in for a new tofu dish. If this is the cost of the meal, it’s way overpriced.”
And the awkwardness stretched on for Kurt’s party as well.
Or rather, was it even just awkward?
What Lakia had said regarding the prophecy was shocking enough, but now they found themselves in a position where they had to head directly to the Spine Empire in order to stop it.
“Lakia, can I ask you one thing?”
“Sure, ask away.”
“In your vision, is there a definite outcome where we succeed in stopping the Dimensional Gate of the Spine Empire?”
“There is no absolute in my foresight. But, yes. In the future I saw, no one died.”
“…Then that’s fine. I’ll trust you. Alright. I’m heading to the Spine Empire. If anyone feels hesitant, you don’t have to come along. I alone can head to the Spine Empire with Lakia.”
“I-I will go too! An adventurer saving the world is my dream since I left the elf village!”
“…I will also join. I won’t commit the injustice of fleeing when I know of such a great threat from the Dimensional Gate in the Ancient Empire.”
“Alright! I’ll come along too. The world is in danger. It doesn’t feel real, but those foolish empire folk can’t be allowed to bring that horrific disaster from the ruins of the Ancient Empire back into existence!”
“…Thank you so much. I’m really sorry to impose on you all when you’re not even from the Holy Kingdom.”
Archbishop Tierra lowered her head, as if ashamed and grateful.
“No need to worry about it. I’ve always wanted to experience the food culture of the Spine Empire, the world’s strongest nation, at least once.”
“There you go again, talking about food….”
Thus, the journey of Kurt’s party, originally set based on heading to the Holy Kingdom, was extended to the Spine Empire.