Chapter 572: The Holy See (4)

Chapter 572: The Holy See (4)

Sienna knew that it was only natural for Eugene to ask about the Demoneye, but she had never expected him to ask her at a time like this. Sienna’s face, which had been smiling mischievously just a few moments ago as she teased him, suddenly stiffened.

After hesitating for a few moments, she nodded and said, “I already told you back then. I took it with me.”

“That’s why I’m asking where it is now,” Eugene pressed.

After a short sigh, Sienna pulled open the front of her robes.

A purple diamond-like gem hung from a necklace hanging around Sienna’s neck. Eugene’s brow furrowed at this sight.

He didn’t really think that it would still be in the form of an actual eye, but he was still surprised to see that Sienna would turn it into a jewel and wear it around her neck. But Eugene felt especially surprised because he couldn’t feel any unusual energies coming from it, even though the Demoneye of Fantasy was hanging right in front of him.

“It’s been sealed,” Sienna explained.

“Sealed?” Eugene repeated questioningly.

“Mhm. It’s too hard to control. It’s also overflowing with dark power,” Sienna said before letting out another deep sigh and gently rubbing her finger against the necklace.

With this gesture, it only took a few moments for her to lift the seal.

Eugene could immediately see why Sienna had had to seal it and why she had described it as difficult to control and overflowing with dark power.

The moment Sienna’s magical seal was lifted, the jewel began to give off a bewitching glow.

Whoooosh!

A seemingly endless surge of dark power poured out from the jewel. At the same time, the Demoneye of Fantasy seemed to activate on its own accord as it began to draw on the flow of dark power.

Grrrrrumble....!

As the whole room started to vibrate, everything contained within began to shake. Though this wasn’t actually happening in reality, it was all just an effect of the Demoneye of Fantasy going out of control as it continued to draw on the flow of dark power.

With his brow furrowed in concern, Eugene turned his head to look behind him. He wanted to take a look at Kristina’s expression.

Fortunately, unlike when Noir had used it, it seemed that the Demoneye of Fantasy wasn’t able to subdue its targets’ minds and forcibly drag them into a dream. This was because that particular power had been based on Noir’s own ability, and it wasn’t something that the Demoneye of Fantasy could do on its own. However, after it randomly went on a rampage and began to swallow up large amounts of dark power without any restraint, the ability of the Demoneye of Fantasy instead manifested itself as a direct mental attack.

This was why Kristina currently felt a slight headache and couldn’t help but let out a frown.

Kristina’s face suddenly disappeared, accompanied by a crackling noise. The Demoneye of Fantasy seemed to have activated on its own once more, replacing Kristina’s face with the appearance of Noir, who looked exactly as Eugene last remembered her. Noir seemed to turn to look at Eugene with a bright smile. That smile also looked exactly like the smile in Eugene’s memories.

—Hamel.

Then there was her voice. Eugene clicked his tongue as he tried to keep his cool. That alone was enough to shatter the illusion. Noir’s face disappeared, going back to Kristina’s original appearance.

“You understand now why I’m keeping it sealed, right?” Sienna said with a sigh as she stroked the jewel once more.

At this second touch, all of the dark power that was pouring out of it was sucked back inside, and all visual indicators of the Demoneye of Fantasy’s activation disappeared.

“I don’t even know what kind of illusion you were seeing,” Sienna muttered grumpily. “That’s how difficult this thing is to control.”

Eugene frowned, “Does that mean you can’t control it at all?”

“Who do you think I am? Of course, I can control it. Although it’s extremely annoying and tiring to do so, it also consumes a lot of mental power. That’s why I usually keep it sealed up like this,” Sienna muttered proudly as she pulled her robes back together. “But still, it’s nice to have access to such an endless source of pure, high-quality dark power. It’s much stronger than the dark power Amelia Merwin can generate, so of course, this Lady Sienna will make good use of it.”

Eugene kept strangely silent.

Sienna continued unabated, “In fact, even without being able to control the Demoneye of Fantasy perfectly, just the fact that I can combine its dark power with my mana to create soul power is—”

“Sienna.” Eugene’s eyebrows wrinkled as he carefully considered a certain possibility. After staring at Sienna for a few moments, he began speaking again, “Is it possible that Noir Giabella’s soul... or any of her remnant thoughts were left within the Demoneye of Fantasy?”

Eugene recalled how Noir’s face and voice had manifested during the jewel’s rampage just a few moments ago. What if that wasn’t just a simple illusion? What if some trace of Noir’s existence remained within the Demoneye of Fantasy?

Eugene couldn’t help but have such doubts. When he finally slew Noir, he hadn’t used his divine power or Divine Sword. As such, Noir’s soul hadn’t been erased.

~

—If one day, I am reincarnated like you were, and if, by any chance, we meet again....

~

The words that Noir had whispered before she died were swirling within Eugene’s head.

He could have erased her soul. Even if he couldn’t use his divine power or Divine Sword, he could still have used the ominous light of the Moonlight Sword that had been fused into Levantein.

The reason he hadn’t used it....

In the end, it was because Eugene had also harbored the desire to see the “one day” that Noir had spoken of. So he couldn’t muster up the will needed to erase Noir’s soul. Because he didn’t want to fully erase her. So in the end... he just took her life.

“There’s nothing in here,” Sienna shook her head with a sigh. “I know that it might be inevitable for you to have such concerns, but you were there; Noir died right in front of us. Her soul... probably went where souls are supposed to go.”

“Well, you do have a past criminal record,” Eugene pointed out jokingly with a grin. “Three hundred years ago, when I died, who was the one who trapped my soul in this necklace and kept it with them?”

“That’s!” Sienna blushed. “I kept it with me for a reason, you know? It’s because of what you wished for with your last words! Because you wanted to be reincarnated into a world where all Demon Kings had been slain!”

“Alright, alright,” Eugene gestured for her to calm down.

“In any case! That damned Night Demon is well and truly dead,” Sienna stated firmly. “She might someday be reincarnated as a man, a woman, or even an animal, but that’s none of my business! There’s not a single trace of her left in the Demoneye of Fantasy!”

“Then why did it go on a rampage like that?” Eugene questioned.

Sienna turned the question back on him, “Did the Moonlight Sword go on a rampage because it also had an ego driving it to do so? It went out of control because I’m trying to forcefully control a power that I don’t meet the right conditions to use freely!”

After the Moonlight Sword was brought up as an example, Eugene got the feeling he shouldn’t ask any more questions.

Well, indeed, it wasn’t like Sienna had had any reason to preserve Noir’s soul, and if there really were any traces of Noir left within the Demoneye of Fantasy, what reason would Sienna have to hide it? If any such traces had remained, rather than keeping them intact, Sienna would have destroyed them long ago.

“You just stop arguing with me and get changed into a proper set of clothes,” Sienna frantically ordered. “You have to give a speech, remember!”

Eugene blinked doubtfully, “Does it really have to be today...?”

“Then what, do you want to do it tomorrow? Hmm? Or perhaps the day after?” Sienna offered sarcastically. “After being unconscious for three months, are you really going to waste any more time?”

To think that Sienna would be so naggy after he had just teased her a bit. Feeling aggrieved, Eugene grabbed the bottom of his hospital gown and pointedly lifted it up to his head without any warning, making a show of obeying Sienna’s order.

At the sight of Eugene’s abs, which had grown even more defined due to his prolonged involuntary fasting, Sienna spun her head around and screamed, “Kyaaaah!”

“Kyaaah!”

[Kyaaah!]

Kristina and Anise also let out identical screams. However, the Saints didn’t turn their heads away, and instead just covered their eyes with their hands. Their fingers were also splayed wide open.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Sienna snapped, her face blushing red.

“Sir Eugene, you are the Divine Emperor of Yuras,” Aeuryus reminded him.

“When did I ever agree to that...?” Eugene grumbled as he looked down at the clothes he was wearing.

Beneath his red floor-length cape, he was dressed in a gorgeous outfit that was colored in white and gold. The Pope had also specially prepared this set of clothes for Yuras’ new Divine Emperor.

Aeuryus tried to persuade him, “Right now, Sir Eugene, you are not just speaking as a member of the Lionheart Family. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Divine Army and the Divine Emperor of Yuras, you will soon be giving one final speech before heading into battle against Helmuth and the Demon King of Incarceration. Therefore—”

“Alright, alright, I’ve got it already. That’s why I’m wearing this instead of the Lionheart uniform. But that Holy Crown is just going too far,” Eugene expressed his disgust as he cut the Pope’s lecture short.

As Eugene subtly bared his intimidating aura, the Pope decided to refrain from offering any more advice and just quietly nodded.

“Before your speech begins... would you please promise me a few things,” Gilead politely requested as he walked over to stand by Eugene. He had been standing nearby with a worried frown. “Please, in your speech... ahem... please avoid the use of any profanity.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t do such a thing,” Eugene said as he nodded in agreement.

“And also... please don’t make any threats either,” Gilead hesitantly added.

“Huh?” Eugene frowned in confusion.

Gilead explained, “For example: If we lose the war or if the war situation becomes unfavorable, we will have no choice but to forcibly conscript even the civilians... so if you don’t want to end up conscripted, pray for our victory.... I’m talking about those kinds of threats.”

Eugene stared at Gilead silently.

How had Gilead known what he was planning?

Goosebumps rose on Eugene’s skin. He felt like his mind had just been read. However, Eugene didn’t reveal any trace of that surprise in his expression.

“Of course, I wouldn’t do that,” Eugene blatantly lied.

In fact, Eugene had been planning to make a quick getaway after making that threat the key point of his speech. But now, he had been directly told not to do such a thing. Then what sort of speech should he give? As Eugene’s head was about to start letting off steam from all the work it was doing...

Aaaaaaaah!

...a loud roar was heard coming from the open door. All of the believers who had been silently praying in the square below had become greatly enthused after hearing that Eugene, who had finally opened his eyes, was about to give a speech.

Eugene silently gulped.

The longer he delayed, the more excited his believers would become. Would they be wondering just how amazing and moving a speech it must be for Eugene to take so much time to prepare before giving it? The longer he dragged things out here, the worse things would get for Eugene. What was needed now was bold decisiveness and the ability to take action.

Taking a deep break, Eugene stepped forward.

“Aaaaah...,” Kristina sighed with an ecstatic expression as she lifted the trailing hem of Eugene’s cape.

As the Saint for both Eugene and the Light, she kept her head bowed deeply as she followed behind Eugene.

They walked out onto the rooftop. The closer they got to the railing that overlooked the square, the louder the cheers grew. At the same time, Eugene could also feel a burning heat rising inside his chest. This feeling was coming from the continuous growth of his divine faith.

Kristina was right. Giving a speech here and now was sure to expand the capacity of Eugene’s divine vessel.

Eugene’s lips parted soundlessly.

Though his head recognized the value of what he was doing and his body could sense the benefits, his thought processes didn’t seem to be functioning properly. Just what was he meant to say to them?

But he no longer had any time to ponder that question. Eugene had already arrived in front of the railing. Since the large plaza had already been filled to capacity, people had even started filling up the nearby roads just to see him. All of the nearby buildings also had people leaning out of their windows and crowding their rooftops.

For now, Eugene just needed to say something, “I....”

Even though Eugene was speaking softly, measures had already been taken to amplify the sound of his voice. Yurasia wouldn’t be the only city listening to his speech. Before Eugene had even opened his eyes, preparations had already been underway for him to give a speech. Currently, Eugene’s speech was being broadcast across the entire continent, just like his duel with Gavid.

‘Damn it,’ Eugene silently cursed to himself.

Maybe he should have at least kept a copy of Carmen’s speech in his pocket. He hadn’t read the contents of her speech, but even if it wasn’t something that no one in their right mind would dare to write, it would at least have to be somewhat appropriate for the situation, right? However, it was too late for regrets.

Eugene continued speaking, “...am Hamel’s reincarnation... Eugene Lionheart.”

Even though all he had said was his name, the crowd immediately responded with cheers.

“The Radiant Lion.” Watching from the rear of the crowd, Carmen whispered amidst the loud cheering.

“The Divine Emperor,” Raphael murmured.

Even Alchester found himself mumbling, “Commander-in-Chief of the Divine Army.”

But Eugene couldn’t bear to continue introducing himself with any of these prestigious titles, so he just continued with his speech.

“While I was asleep... a lot has happened. The Demon King of Incarceration and Pandemonium have descended onto the border in preparation for the war, while the Demon King’s Castle Babel is flying high in the skies above.”

Right now, Eugene just wanted to go home. Or else escape towards the battlefield.

“The end of the Oath that has lasted for three hundred years is approaching. Soon, war will break out. It must be fought for the sake of the world....”

But now that things had turned out like this, it couldn’t be helped.

“But to be honest, rather than fighting for the sake of the world, I just really want to kill the Demon King of Incarceration. That was the case three hundred years ago, and it’s still the case even now.”

It would be better just to lay the truth out directly than to give any false promises.

“To those of you who have never once picked up a sword in your life, I won’t tell you to hold a sword and head to the battlefield. Instead, you should just pray for the safety of the world. No, pray for yourself. That would be of more help than anything else you could do.”

Eugene didn’t think of this as being much of a threat.

“Pray for the victory of the Alliance...”

The crowds were silent.

“...pray that I will kill the Demon King of Incarceration...”

At some point, the cheering had stopped.

“...and pray that I will be victorious.”

Eugene abruptly spun around. His eyes met with Kristina, who had let go of his cloak and was staring at him with her jaw dropped. Eugene pretended not to notice her expression and hurriedly walked away from the railing, looking almost like he was running away.

His speech, if it could even be described as that, had ended with this call for prayer.

Aaaaaaaah!

However, his believers still exploded in cheers behind him.

1. The original text uses a pun that doesn’t translate literally. The word that Eugene curses with comes in two syllables. Eugene gets out the first syllable before Melkith interrupts him. The second syllable can be spelled in two different ways depending on inflection, but they both mean the same thing. These two different ways, on their own, translate literally as ‘arm’ and ‘foot.’ So, in the original Korean text, Melkith shakes her arm and then her feet, teasing Eugene as to which one he is going to use. ☜

2. The Pope’s official residence. ☜