It bestows favorable omens upon the entire race's destiny. Even if it means twisting the fate of the world.
It supplies magical power to the entire nation. Even if it means devastating all the surrounding waters.
It provides the most suitable climate whenever and wherever. Even if neighboring countries become colder and drier.
It functions solely for the eternal prosperity of the elves. All these operational methods were merely secondary effects. The Great Blessing of the Milestone worked for only one proposition:
[May you prosper forever.]
Therefore, paradoxically, the Milestone cannot stop within its operational range. Since stopping the Milestone would hinder the prosperity of elves, the Great Blessing would act to protect the Milestone.
"Do you know when our race last had a civil war?"
"Civil war... civil war, Your Majesty?"
"Yes. A 'real war' against each other, like those humans or demons do."
"That's... since it's the culture of uncivilized races... we, we elves would never do such base things—"
"Really? Are you certain?"
The Queen chuckled.
"Is it rare for an elf to kill another elf? Is it so uncommon for corporations to devour one another, and occasionally for internal strife to arise, driving out one side, executing them, or drowning them in the middle of the sea under the pretense of exile? Was poisoning and assassination such a rare sight?"
"However, Your Majesty, that is—"
"Despite those tremendous desires, we never started a 'civil war.' Even though there were sufficient incidents, reasons, and purposes. Even when the king's authority hit rock bottom and every noble claimed to be the king of their own country!!"
Hermon stiffened at the Queen's words.
"Because it 'violates prosperity'! For the sake of all elves, civil war must be avoided at all costs. The Great Blessing of the Milestone never allowed any conflict to escalate into war."
"That... what you're saying..."
"What if we consider that artifact, the Milestone, as casting mind sorcery on our entire race?"
Even if it had to guide our thinking, if it violated the proposition to prosper forever.
"So, if the Milestone has truly stopped, wouldn't that be by the Milestone's own judgment?"
Because now stopping would be more beneficial to elven prosperity.
To test that.
"No civil war, no conflict, no competition. We control the waters so we control logistics, we lead trade so wealth accumulates even if we do nothing. We've crushed the demon race, so we can share all kinds of interests without even conquering them."
The Queen continued, almost singing.
"Before and after that. Humans are too dull. As long as the United Kingdom remains, Kalion can remain the most powerful nation forever."
Since they can get whatever they want. No one strives to develop.
Merely excavating artifacts and technologies created by distant ancestors.
This lifestyle of leisure in paradise, based on long lifespans and abundant resources.
"Stagnation."
"Pardon...?"
"The Milestone has judged that elven society has now stagnated. That Kalion has stagnated because the political situation has stabilized. Therefore, it can no longer prosper, and the reason is the Milestone's blessing."
The Milestone judged that it must destroy itself.
"But it's just an artifact! Without intelligence or reason... we don't worship such capricious gods—"
"Did we create a true god with our own power?"
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
"Your master told me that. Do you know what he said afterward?"
Rejecting false and capricious gods, the elves created a truly great god by themselves.
A god who loves only elves and exists eternally only for elves.
"If a god truly loves its people, shouldn't it commit suicide when appropriate?"
"What does that even...?"
"No child can live under their parents' care forever. For children who have grown enough, shouldn't parents rightfully step aside?"
The Queen smiled, thinking of the magician who was considered the most powerful in this world.
If indeed the Milestone could be stopped, it would be because the Milestone intended it.
Make a decision for the entire race. If you grant permission, the god will act.
Do so.
I will be recorded as a tyrant who destroyed the ancestors' artifacts, but my people will be praised forever.
"Can you now see the day I will die, my royal astronomer?"
All parents must step aside for their children someday.
"The Alchemy Faction tried to turn off the Milestone and control magical beasts."
Edelplat murmured quietly in the darkness. A man turned his head at her words.
It was right after half of her disciples had been killed. The great swordsman who had cut down half of the Sword Order's disciples with her own hands was whispering while looking up at the dark night sky.
"And the Life Faction developed techniques to create divine power from souls."
Her one remaining eye gleamed coldly.
"We, the unworthy disciples of the Sword Order, found a way to induce mental acceleration."
"Master...?"
"All three used the Milestone to do it."
Despite her disciples' concerned looks, Edel simply kept gazing up at the sky.
"Though my learning is limited and I'm ignorant of magic... let's assume my inadequate kinsmen were each researching such things."
"Yes, Master."
"Since they all have at least one talent, if they each diligently developed what only they could do—"
The Alchemy Faction, Life Faction, and Sword Order.
These three groups she confirmed each used the Milestone in their own way to develop technologies for themselves.
All of these represent a kind of "essence of techniques they could achieve."
And if all the Privy Council members... that is, all academic societies, were attempting such technological development.
"Different academic societies protecting the Milestone, each in different ways, created the essence of techniques they could implement."
"...Yes...?"
"If all those things converge through the medium called the Milestone, doesn't it remind you of something familiar?"
Edel is ignorant of magic. She never had any interest in it. All her interests were limited to the art of the sword.
Therefore, she cannot know the principles of the Milestone, the workings of the Great Blessing, or the purpose of the academic societies' research.
But she was someone who had fought on battlefields for ages. She had even faced the Seven Dragon Lords alone and survived.
That's why she was now instinctively realizing.
"The extreme of all possibilities a race can achieve. The essence of racial evolution. The maximum potential of a race."
When all those elements gathered, when they began to act as one form.
The United Kingdom called such beings:
The Seven Dragon Lords. Those who became gods while living.
And the most representative nickname for the Milestone was "the god we created with our own hands."
"What on earth have you done, Beolgrin?"
Magic doesn't move. Neither neural acceleration nor physical enhancement works.
She muttered bitterly as she faced the increasingly harsh winter wind.
"What do you intend to do by creating an elven god that doesn't love elves?"
"Do you know the word 'ku-geor'?"
"Is that Elvish? I don't know it well."
"It means winter hound."
Beolgrin smiled at Maximillian.
"According to legends from ancient times when Kalion still had winter, there was a hunting dog raised by winter itself in the deep nights of the cold season. It was said that livestock that froze to death had their souls taken by that hound."
"Ah, we have similar folk tales in our country too. People naturally mythologize things they cannot oppose, like weather phenomena or natural disasters."
"Yes, that's right."
Beolgrin nodded quietly.
"If there's a difference between elven legends and those of other countries, it's that the hound eventually killed winter. They believed that at the time when winter became most severe, spring would only come after the starving hound finally devoured its master."
"Elves are no different after all. Their way of creating folk tales is exactly the same as humans."
"People are people everywhere, I suppose."
Beolgrin concluded while looking out at the sea where snow and hail were swirling.
"Lieutenant Colonel!! Lieutenant Colonel!!"
"I told you to call me Commander. What is it?"
"It seems the elves can't use magic? Apparently this isn't just some ambiguous winter?"
"Huh?"
At the diplomatic residence of Idranil, a man scratched his chin and tilted his head.
"Elves are naturally weak and quite sensitive to cold. But in just this weather?"
"Haha, exactly!"
Looking at the laughing man, he organized his thoughts for a moment and said:
"If elves can't use magic anymore, that means... they can't use mind sorcery either, right?"
"I suppose so?"
"Those guys can't do anything if they can't even do that."
"Right?"
"Wait a minute... then."
The spy from the cold country stood up with gleaming eyes.
"It's our world now?"
The four seasons of Krasilov consist of winter, warm winter, cold winter, and damn cold winter.
This weather was not much different from Krasilov's warm late spring.
And the thirty-some men present here—
"Shall we keep busy before our senior arrives?"
They were the last survivors of the Annihilation Squad.
The few survivors who returned alive despite being ordered to assassinate the surviving Seven Dragon Lords that the Hero had failed to kill.
Among them, those who were carefully selected and continued to serve, swearing loyalty to the country until the end.
The founding members of the Counter-Intelligence Command. And that means:
"We should at least see our Majesty get married, boys."
They were the disciples of Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Petrovich.
The entire First Strike Team of the Counter-Intelligence Command under Dmitri rose from their seats with light smiles.