The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: A Slightly Concerning Summoning Ritual

Vhan glanced toward the map.

"The current priority should be locating the ritual site. If we can identify where the summoning is being prepared, we can determine how much of the organization is gathered there and whether the count’s resources are actually reaching them."

Vince nodded.

"We can continue tracing the financial routes while the field teams search for the ritual location."

"When we find it, we will decide what needs to be removed."

The answer was simple, but Herrera’s smile immediately became sharper.

"That sounds reasonable."

Leonora glanced toward the others.

"We should also consider the possibility that the cult has more members than the ones we’ve already identified. The fragments we recovered suggest an organization rather than a small gathering of extremists."

"Naturally," Aurora replied. "A ritual of this scale requires people, resources, and time. The members we have seen so far are unlikely to represent the entire organization."

Octavia nodded.

"Then we will continue collecting information before striking."

Aurora’s eyes moved across the table.

"Yes. I want the structure of the cult understood before we destroy it. If there are people supporting them from outside, we should know who they are. If there are additional locations, we should know where they are. And if Count Bellamere is more deeply involved than we currently believe, I want that confirmed before anyone touches him."

The others acknowledged her instructions.

The matter of Algazar remained at the center of the discussion.

Even though nobody at the table showed fear, none of them treated the monster lightly either.

They understood exactly what a disaster-class creature represented.

If Algazar appeared, the consequences would not be limited to a single village or a handful of soldiers. Entire regions could be destroyed before the kingdom even understood what had happened.

That was precisely why the Eclipse Order could not afford to let the summoning proceed.

Not because they feared Algazar.

Because the Great Eclipse still found this territory useful.

Allowing an ancient disaster-class monster to appear and destroy everything would simply be an unnecessary waste.

Herrera slowly leaned back.

"If that thing appears, this place will become useless."

"Exactly," Vhan said.

"And our master still has plans for this place."

"Yes."

Leonora smiled faintly.

"Then there is no reason to allow a cult’s foolishness to interfere with them."

Aurora’s smile returned.

"That is the only reason we need."

She rested one hand over the report.

"The strength of Algazar does not change our decision. If it were an ordinary monster, we would eliminate it. If it were a powerful monster, we would eliminate it. If it were a disaster-class monster capable of destroying half the territory..."

Her smile widened slightly.

"We would still eliminate it."

Herrera laughed.

"That is more like it."

Octavia’s expression remained composed.

"The only difference is the preparation required."

"Precisely."

Aurora looked toward Vhan.

"How many forces can be moved without disrupting the other operations?"

Vhan considered the question before answering.

"The Ten Reapers can provide several teams, but I recommend keeping the majority of our current units where they are. The other investigations are still producing useful information, and withdrawing too many members could expose those operations."

Vince added,

"We can instead assign a smaller number of high-ranking members to the investigation while using the existing intelligence network to support them. Once the ritual site has been confirmed, additional forces can be moved immediately."

Aurora nodded.

"Do that."

She turned toward Octavia.

"Have the recovered records compared with the older archives. If there are references to Algazar’s previous summoning, I want to know exactly what conditions were required."

"Understood."

"Leonora, continue the investigation into the cult’s movements. Do not expose the Order unless necessary."

Leonora smiled.

"I’ll make sure they continue believing they are alone."

"Herrera."

"Yes?"

"Bellamere."

Herrera’s smile immediately became more pronounced.

"I’ll look into him and handle this matter properly."

"Of course."

Vince closed the financial records.

"We will make sure the investigation continues without interfering with the Great Eclipse’s other activities."

Aurora leaned back slightly.

"How is our master?"

The question changed the atmosphere only slightly, but the four Black Roses immediately became more attentive.

Vhan answered first.

"The Great Eclipse is doing well."

Vince continued.

"He has been spending most of his time at the academy, occasionally moving through the capital when necessary. There have been no unusual changes in his behavior."

Aurora smiled.

"Then everything is fine."

Leonora nodded.

"Master has always moved only when there is a reason to move."

"And when he decides to move," Herrera added, "there is usually little left for anyone else to worry about."

Octavia gave a small smile.

"He knows what is happening."

Vhan looked toward the report.

"Whether he knows about this particular investigation already or not, I cannot say."

Vince nodded.

"But Master is Master."

He looked around the table.

"And the Great Eclipse has never needed us to explain everything to him."

The members of the Eclipse Order had seen enough to understand that their master rarely moved without knowing more than anyone realized.

Aurora slowly stood and gathered the documents.

"Then we will continue."

She placed the report concerning Algazar into a separate folder and closed it.

"We will locate the cult and determine the ritual site. We’ll uncover Bellamere’s involvement. And before the final stage of the summoning begins, we’ll make sure there is nothing left for them to summon."

Herrera’s smile widened.

"That sounds much more interesting than simply destroying them immediately."

Aurora slowly closed the report and placed it back on the table, her lips curving into a faint smile.

"When disaster descends upon this land, we shall not kneel before it. Even if Algazar truly possesses the power recorded in these ancient records, it is still nothing more than another obstacle standing in our master’s path."

Herrera gave a quiet laugh.

"Let the cult worship it as their god. They have mistaken destruction for salvation and worship for control, so perhaps it will be amusing to watch their expressions when their precious god finally awakens."

Leonora’s smile widened.

"And if the Grave Tyrant truly returns after two thousand four hundred years, then we shall simply greet it properly."

Octavia calmly gathered the remaining records.

"Whether Algazar can be controlled is irrelevant. The moment its summoning threatens the land our master has chosen to use, we will eliminate it."

Vhan glanced toward the ancient record.

"Let them complete their ritual."

Vince’s expression hardened.

"Let them believe that the end of the world is approaching."

Aurora looked toward the others, her smile becoming strangely bright.

"When Algazar finally opens its eyes, it will discover that this world is no longer waiting helplessly for its arrival."

The four Black Roses, Vhan, and Vince stood together.

Aurora spoke first.

"We are the Eclipse."

The others followed, their voices joining hers.

"When light meets darkness, neither shall prevail—for we are the shadow that devours them both."

That evening, I found myself sitting alone inside my dormitory.

The room was quiet, with only the faint sound of wind passing through the slightly open window. A small lamp illuminated the desk in front of me, where several documents were scattered beside an old book I had been reading earlier.

I closed the book and leaned back in my chair.

Until now, there had been no reliable records concerning the so-called Grave Tyrant.

Even after ordering the Eclipse Order to investigate every lead connected to the ancient creature, we had only managed to uncover fragments. Old references, incomplete reports, damaged records, and rumors that had been passed down for generations.

Nothing substantial enough to confirm what Algazar actually was.

Or whether the creature could truly be summoned again.

I rested my elbow against the armrest and looked toward the documents.

Still, I couldn’t simply ignore it.

It’s not as if I’m afraid of Algazar.

Considering how absurdly quickly my strength has grown since coming to this world, I honestly don’t think facing a monster of that level would be enough to put me in any real danger. My current power is difficult to measure even by my own standards, and if I continued growing at this rate, there was no telling where my limits would eventually end.

So the problem wasn’t whether I could defeat it.

The real problem was everything that would happen before I got the chance.

People in this world believed that peace had finally settled over the kingdoms. The major wars had ended, the monsters were being dealt with by adventurers and knight orders, and most ordinary people could live their lives without ever needing to think about the kind of threats that existed beyond their cities.

That peace made things more troublesome.

A disaster like Algazar appearing without warning wouldn’t simply destroy a few buildings and disappear. If the records were even partially accurate, its resurrection could affect entire regions, and the people living there would have no idea what had happened until it was already too late.

And the Eclipse Order wasn’t the only organization operating in this world.

There were probably far more hidden factions than I had discovered so far.

In my previous life, I had encountered countless organizations that existed outside the knowledge of governments and ordinary people. Some specialized in assassination, others in intelligence, smuggling, experimentation, or political manipulation. Even then, there had always been groups we never encountered until they had already become a problem.

This world couldn’t be any different.

If anything, it might be worse.

There were kingdoms, churches, knight orders, guilds, noble factions, laboratory, criminal organizations, cults, and countless groups that probably had their own secrets.

And somewhere among all of them, there were bound to be organizations that had been operating for decades without anyone realizing what they were actually doing.

I picked up another report.

The laboratories were still being monitored.

That was at least reassuring.

The Eclipse Order had already placed several investigation teams around the locations connected to the experiments, and Aoda and Valentine were handling the larger operation alongside the assigned elites. As long as they continued gathering information without exposing themselves, we could slowly uncover the network behind those laboratories.

But the situation had changed earlier than I expected.

The Grave Tyrant.

The laboratories.

The strange records concerning summoning rituals.

Too many unrelated pieces were beginning to appear at roughly the same time.

I tapped my finger against the desk.

"Looks like I can’t just sit around and watch anymore."

There was no need to rush blindly into the situation.

That would be stupid.

Information came first.

If I understood what the cult was planning, where the ritual was being prepared, who was supporting them, and what they intended to do after summoning Algazar, then dealing with the problem would become much easier.

The problem was that we didn’t have enough information yet.

The records we had recovered were only fragments, and even the cult itself hadn’t been completely identified. We knew there were people involved, and we knew at least one noble had been providing them with support, but we still didn’t know the full extent of their organization.

That meant I had two choices.

Wait until the Eclipse Order uncovered everything.

Or investigate it myself.

I already knew which one I preferred.

I stood from my chair and stretched.

"Well, I suppose it’s time to move."

I walked toward the window and looked out over the academy grounds.

The students were still moving through the corridors below, some returning from their evening activities while others were probably preparing for tomorrow’s lessons.

To them, everything was normal.

That was probably the strange part.

Everyone continued living their ordinary lives while hidden organizations moved beneath the surface, laboratories experimented on living beings, and some lunatics were apparently preparing to summon a disaster-class monster from two thousand four hundred years ago.

I couldn’t help but smile.

What an incredibly peaceful world.

I reached for my coat.

"I’ll investigate this myself."

If it really was as powerful as the records claimed, then that would simply give me another opportunity to test how far my strength had developed.

But before that happened, I needed to understand the people who were trying to bring it back.

After all, the monster wasn’t the only problem.

The people who decided that summoning it was a good idea were probably much more interesting.

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