CH 73

I went back the way I came. The destination was the place where Thesilid fought the host of the demon sword.

As I climbed the hill, I could see the scene of the tragedy at a glance. Hundreds of corpses lay on the ground that had turned red.

As expected, Thesilid was in the middle of the hill of corpses.

<Oh my God……>

Agnes continued as if she had seen the ultimate weirdo she came across.

<What kind of Saint is that guy? How can he still do that in this situation?>

Thesilid lay the corpses upright and closed their eyes one by one.

That’s what he chooses to do as soon as he wakes up with a body that hasn’t fully recovered yet. It was only natural for Agnes to become dumbfounded.

<There might be something wrong with his personality. I think it would be better if he was to be hypocritical.>

“He’s not that inhuman. He’s doing that because he needs it.”

<Need?>

What Thesilid is doing now corresponds to ‘charity’ among the Seven Holy Virtues. He was now farming divine power in his own way.

I roughly summed it up.

“He has a buff that makes him stronger when he does good things.”

Without interrupting, I leaned against the tree on the hillside and waited for Thesilid. He came to me after he had offered his requiem prayer for the lost souls.

“Ellet.”

He continued with an apologetic face.

“I was going to go right back before you woke up, but you came looking for me first. Have you been looking for me for a long time?”

“I found you at once.”

I glanced over the organized corpses, and then there was a look of perplexity on Thesilid’s face.

He was concerned about my reaction because he was aware that his behavior was not universally understood.

“This is…”

“It’s probably because of your duty. Good job. Drink this.” 

“……”

I offered a potion to quench his thirst and boost his energy. He accepted it in a daze and opened his mouth. 

“Come to think of it, I’m late to say something.”

“What?”

“Thank you for saving me, Ellet. I survived thanks to you.”

“It was nothing.”

“I also enjoyed the Ciabatta Sandwich you left at my bedside. Your cooking skills went nowhere.”

“Do you want more? I have a lot.”

While I was looking through my satchel bag, Thesilid smiled.

“You’re still trying to constantly feed me something.”

I lightly cleared my throat.

“Did I?”

“You did. Thanks for this potion too. I will gladly take it.”

Thesilid slightly shook the bottle and then swallowed the contents. I collected the empty bottles that he had finished.

I think this was quite the natural atmosphere for a 10 years reunion. But I talked about it even though I knew it was strange to mention it.

“Long time no see, Terry.”

“Yes, really. Long time no see, Ellet.”

As if a question had suddenly come to mind, Thesilid asked me.

“How did you get here?”

“It’s hard to explain, but I think you can classify it as a dungeon sink.”

“Dungeon Sink? That’s an amazing coincidence. If I had not been familiar with ‘Strict order and Goodwill’, I would have believed that a miracle had been granted.”

Agnes coughed awkwardly at his bone-filled words.

<Well, our god is a little strict.>

While suppressing the desire to encourage conversion to the World God denomination, Thesilid asked another question.

“Back there, how come you were using Aura? I thought that divine power was your main ability.”

“Divine power is my main power. I kept thinking that divine power alone was not enough, so I decided to learn the sword.”

“You have mastered the sword to this level…Did you become an Aura Expert?”

“Yes. To be more exact it is the upper level of Aura Expert.”

At this point, Thesilid’s eyes fluttered slightly.

If divine power forcibly awakened by his stigmata is left out of the discussion, his main power is Aura. That’s why he was able to become an Aura Expert.

“The little kid who had a hard time running away while playing tag in the toy mansion…how can you…”

“Yes, I had a bad time then. Because of that, I was quite shocked and started training in swordsmanship.”

“The swordsmanship was also unique. Isn’t that Saint Agnes’ whip sword swordsmanship?”

“Oh, you got it right. My necklace is a relic of Agnes, isn’t it? Agnes’ soul was contained here, so I was able to learn swordsmanship. She’s right next to me. She’s waving at you.”

“…Really?”

“It really is. Are you doubting the words of your lifesaver now?”

“No! That’s not it.”

“Right? Then say hello to Agnes.” 

“Well, I am honored to meet the hero of the continent. My name is Thesilid Argent, a paladin from the Inquisition Office: Heretic Judgment Bureau.”

<Nice to meet you, brother. But that’s not the way. Look at the other side.>

After Thesilid greeted her again, the conversation naturally led to Agnes.

As I explained that the fame of The Vatican’s 1st Instructor was not in vain, I also opened up about my training life.

After listening to how I lived, Thesilid said with a smile.

“You seem to be doing well.”

“Yes. I worked hard and had a good time.”

My story is over. Now it was his turn.

“I.”

“……”

“I’ve been well, too.” 

That’s a lie.

I was someone who have read the original dozens of times, it was impossible to buy such a flat lie.

Recently, he must have been through hell in a dungeon called the Valley of the Heretics.

Even there, he must have wandered among the corpses alone while closing the eyes of those who died under his sword. Surely, that must have looked a little hypocritical.

Those corpses belonged to those who Thesilid killed to prevent the Demon King’s rituals. It was an occasion that won him great recognition in The Vatican and made his reputation as a famous paladin.

Thesilid’s activities spread to the kingdoms beyond the borders of the Holy Country. 

Anyone who doesn’t know his real struggle would talk about it even in passing to pretend to be close, but….. 

“Really? I’m glad you’re doing well.”

I pretended to know nothing.

Thinking that we had exchanged enough regards, I pulled my back from the wooden pole.

“Terry, how are you feeling?”

“As you can see, everything is fine. Thanks to you.”

“Good. Then let’s go deal with the host of the demon sword. I want to finish it before the backup force arrives.”

The host will now be eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Salvation Army of The Vatican. Because he needs an offering to regenerate his right arm.

Thesilid said with an apologetic look.

“You have no choice but to step out because The Salvation Army can be ambushed. Thank you for being willing to lend power to the denomination.”

“I’m lending it to you, not the church.”

“……”

“Why are your eyes wide open? Don’t worry, I won’t ask you to repay the loan. Anyway, let’s go find that sword.”

Having decided on our plan. Thesilid and I began to move over the hill where the demonic energy was spreading in abundance.

✠

<Kuh…uh…>

To the far west of the dungeon ‘The Hill where the Sword of the Celestial Demon is Sealed’. Eleon O’Drek was recovering in a swamp full of Spider Lillies.

Eleon grabbed his throbbing right shoulder. The more he thought about it, the more his body trembled.

<Dare you…how dare you cut my arm…! The arm of the master of the holy sword…!>

His right arm showed no signs of regenerating. Hundreds of humans were killed while holding the demon sword, but the number of sacrifices was insufficient to regenerate a severed body part.

He had to kill more, but now, in this dungeon, there were only Thesilid and the woman Both were not even nearly enough. Besides, Thesilid apart, he doesn’t know about that woman…

<Kuh….>

Recalling the moment when Ellet cut off his arm, Eleon trembled in a different sense.

He was scared.

Is this how he’s going to be subjugated?

By the hands of that scary woman?

Around the time when fear swept over Eleon’s whole body.

<Do you want power?>

<……!>

He looked around in surprise. There were no signs of presence, instead, black energy like ashes was rising everywhere in his field of vision.

Eleon suddenly looked down.

From the bottom of the submerged wetland, a red summoning circle radiated a magical light.

<I asked if you wanted power.>

<Who are you?>

Piiing-.

At the same time as the tinnitus rang in his head, an illusion entered his mind.

In the pitch-black darkness, someone was sitting on a rocky throne with crossed arms.

A young blonde-haired person that hard reddish hair towards the end of his locks. The moment their eyes met, blood-red eyes flashed.

<I am the master of Sanarak, Carpeus. Lowly cattle, bow your head before this King.>

<Kuh?! Guabububu!>

An irresistible force made Eleon fall face down and bow his head. He struggled as his face fell to the bottom of the water and he couldn’t breathe.

<I will ask you one last time, cattle.>

<Hubbub…cof…>

<Will you make a contract with me to attain the strength to go beyond your limits?>

<……!>

Power beyond limits.

He felt the brutal threat of drowning in knee-deep water, but the words were clearly pierced in his ears.

He had nothing to ponder about. Eleon clenched his only remaining fist.

<It’s a smart decision for livestock.>

A bloody smile crossed Carpeus’s face.

Black energy like ash that was scattered throughout the wetland was lifted and wind blew in the clear sky.

It was a rough wind mixed with sand.

✠

Around the time when we crossed over the fifth hill, I and Thesilid felt the abnormality 

“Huh? What kind of wind has that type of sand…?”

“Ellet, over there.”

A strange phenomenon occurred in the direction of the sky Thesilid pointed to.

The day quickly set and night came. It was because a red moon swallowed the sun and caused a solar eclipse.

As if to prove that this was not in the human world, the moon dripped red blood. It was like a surrealist oil painting.

Bloody red moon. There was a demon that it symbolized.

“Carpeus…”

The Demon King of the Abyss of Sand. Thesilid, who had his name in his mouth, bit his lips.

Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but be embarrassed when I saw the symbol of Carpeus.

‘I can’t believe in this unexpected interference by the 2nd place in the Demon Rankings.’

This was not in the original!

[‘The Spoiler Inspector’ says that this is all karma caused by your reckless intervention.]

In the midst of this, the Inspector insisted on the theory of responsibility and again repeated that the weak protagonist had to be protected.

<What? What’s going on?>

Agnes asked in dismay and just in time, Thesilid explained to me. 

“The ritual of expanding the Demon Lord territory has begun. Someone has made a living sacrifice to the Demon King of Sanarak, but the only offerings here, except for you and I, is Sir Eleon. He gave himself up.”

“Ha, seems like it’s true that if you became the host of a demon sword, your intelligence would decrease.”

Perhaps he was blinded by power and made a foolish contract, no, at this point it was obvious.

“Ellet, if this goes on, this place will become a desert and become a part of Sanarak.”

“I don’t want to see Carpeus’s face yet.”

“……There is only one way. We must kill Sir Eleon before the ritual is complete.”

Thesilid’s voice was filled with anguish. 

The information he is unraveling now was based on the hellish experience he had in the ‘Valley of Heretics’.

I put my hand on Thesilid’s shoulder without saying a word.

Agnes anxiously asked.

<If he received the power of the Demon King, he must have gotten really strong. Ellet, can you handle this alone?>

“That……”

At that moment.

Whhiizzss.

A gust of wind blew. It was weak enough to be mistaken for a breeze.

But when I saw a mixture of sharply formed blades, I shouted in haste.

“Mercury’s Barrier!”