Just A Reincarnation Story (Summoning Japan Edition)

Chapter 82: All for One Rising

Augustusmens 1, 1616 Central Calendar, 18:00

Roguerider Foundation Headquarters, San Redentore District, Runepolis

"A mortal, a god, and a Horseman enter a meeting room... I feel there must be a punchline somewhere in there."

Eyeing Legiel's back as he walked to adjust the panel beside the door to control the air conditioner, Meteos quietly slid into a seat near the head of the table, back facing the outside view.

It was six o'clock past meridiem at the Roguerider Foundation Headquarters, a sizable steel and glass construct nestled deep within the sparsely populated San Redentore District of the Holy Empire's capital. Raindrops still clung stubbornly to the panoramic windowpanes past the still-empty Executive Boardroom, blurring the sight of the dreary twilight forest beyond and occasional buildings standing stubbornly between them. The air inside was heavy, not with the dampness from the recent downpour, but with a quiet tension.

Three of Roderick's children were already inside, way earlier than the scheduled meeting that was supposed to take place in half an hour. With Ace sitting at his side, the two of them were facing Legiel as he made his way to occupy a seat on the other side of the table. As they waited for others, Meteos started to fiddle with the teeth of a pedanium necklace he had recently made.

Ace tapped a staccato rhythm on the polished tabletop, each beat resonating like a hammer blow that can be heard amidst the silence. His gaze remained fixed on the door at the far corner, and his jaw was clenched tight. Stealing a glance at Meteos from the corner of his eye at times, he saw his younger brother's eyelids begin to close as his fingers ran through the smooth surface of his alien accessory. The mass murderer of civilizations by contrast was a picture of studied calm. Legiel sat with his back relaxed against the chair with a faint smile on his lips. He drummed his fingers along the armrest in a slow, counterpoint to Ace's frenetic tapping. It seemed to be a deliberate act of a silent taunt that only heightened his tension. Ace gritted his teeth, feeling the urge to lash out a physical response a constant battle with the rational thought within him.

Opening his eyes after a minute passed, Meteos murmured toward Legiel. "After I thought that we could find some peace and quiet... Is it really necessary for you to be here this early?"

His coy smile widened a fraction, Legiel reached into his shirt pocket and withdrew a similar pedanium necklace, dangling it between his thumb and forefinger. Not only for himself, Meteos generated more pedanium to also create more necklaces that he subsequently gifted to his parents and siblings. Despite those being obviously useless for the Four Horsemen, Meteos did it anyway, as part of his training to further hone his alien magic-derived skillset.

Meteos let out a small, humorless sigh. "Here I question what audience you are trying to cater to, making a biography of a young boy who just happened to frequent boring meetings."

"Both you and I know that it is utter 'humility' nonsense, Little Brother."

"......Never mind."

"I've finished my duties at my office, so why not?" Legiel shrugged. "Maybe since it's going to be one of those boring meetings, I've come to make sure you two are not dying of boredom. Or, I decided to accompany you here because I was so touched that you, Little Brother, thought of all of us to make us these necklaces. Such a thoughtful gesture."

The pedanium necklace the boy fiddled with was more than just a decorative trinket. Taking advantage of pedanium's properties, not only does the necklace's design with three teeth allow it to be used as a makeshift claw-like weapon, it is also able to serve as a rudimentary magic tool possessing the ability to stockpile mana. By channeling their will, the wearer could use the accumulated mana within them, allowing them a burst of magical power when needed, amplifying spells or bolstering their physical capabilities. It is 'rudimentary' because as far as Meteos' mastery in Overhaul permits at present, this version still lacked the more intricate refinements that made it unable to unleash its full potential as a real game breaker for native Ars Goetian use, i.e., capable of downsizing even Manadrivers as a personal-use automatic chanting magic tool.