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[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 172
"One!"
KAAANG!!
Rehelon’s sword, flashing like a bolt of light, struck Leon’s blade aside.
With a forceful parry that sent Leon's sword almost pointing toward the sky, the other Sword Master-level warriors moved in unison, completely sealing off Leon's movements.
The magic circles rising around Leon were instantly shattered by the aura blades.
In a single coordinated assault, his magic and weaponry were completely neutralized.
"Even if you have extensive experience or wield unknown magic, once we get used to it, gaps are bound to appear."
His weapon was sealed.
What could he possibly do now?
As if to ask that very question, Rehelon aimed the tip of his sword at Leon’s heart once again.
"I bear no grudge, but there is no mercy for heretics."
Without hesitation, the blade thrust forward.
Seeing the strike, Leon let go of the Blacknight Sword in his hand without regret.
For a swordsman to abandon his weapon meant one of two things:
He was either in extreme danger or had made a grave mistake.
Leon had both extensive experience and remarkable talent.
He had even wielded mysterious magic and endured the coordinated assault of five Sword Masters, if only for a moment.
Such a feat was no small accomplishment, even for someone of the same rank.
And then—
"Dragging this out subtly isn’t as easy as I thought."
Leon muttered casually as he clenched his fist.
Sensing that something was wrong, Rehelon instinctively attempted to shift his sword’s path.
His intuition screamed that if he pressed forward, something catastrophic would be unleashed.
Even though Leon's face was hidden behind a mask, the sudden and drastic change in his aura was unmistakable.
The atmosphere was completely different from before.
If his previous stance had been one of probing, now he was serious.
"Will you block it, or dodge it?"
Rehelon’s eyes widened.
Though he was given a choice, his instincts screamed that this was not something he could afford to block.
At the same time, the barrier that surrounded the area turned pitch black, completely obscuring the outside world.
Simultaneously, an overwhelming aura erupted from Leon’s now unarmed body, converging into his fist.
[Sky-Shattering Fist]
[Solar Eclipse]
An immense gravitational pull surged forth, forcibly dragging Rehelon’s body toward Leon’s fist.
Without a moment's hesitation, Rehelon abandoned everything he could afford to let go and chose to dodge.
KWA-AAAAAANG!!!!
Leon’s fist narrowly missed his vital point, grazing past Rehelon’s side.
It was an attack with no intention to kill.
CRRRRACK!!
The space itself distorted momentarily as the earth quaked violently.
The devastating shockwave shook and fractured the ground several times over, leaving a colossal scar in its wake.
A massive, circular crater—resembling the impact of a meteor—was gouged into the earth.
The secondary shockwave, shaped like a solar eclipse, painted the ground with its destructive force.
The concussive blast, while originating from the ground, created a colossal wave of energy that repelled everyone nearby, slamming them against the barrier walls.
"Ugh!"
"Cough!"
The unforeseen strike sent Rehelon flying as well.
Struggling to regain his footing, he fixed his trembling gaze on Leon.
From the voice alone, he sounded like a young man, but—
How could someone so young possess such absurd power?
His swordsmanship was already at the level of a Sword Master.
His magic, while difficult to gauge, was clearly beyond ordinary.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to affect multiple Master-level combatants.
And now, hand-to-hand combat as well?
For a swordsman to master martial arts to such a level was almost unheard of.
It was common for swordsmen to learn unarmed combat for self-defense or as a supplementary skill—but only to a minor degree.
To wield such overwhelming force in both disciplines was practically impossible.
Just what in the world is he?
He wasn't merely balanced; he was equally formidable in every aspect.
It was as though he had lived several lifetimes, each mastering a different path.
At first, Rehelon had believed Leon needed to be swiftly neutralized.
Now, he was certain:
If Leon had intended to kill, Rehelon would already be mortally wounded.
And even if Leon were holding back, subduing him would be nearly impossible.
"You… just who in the world are you…?"
Rehelon repeated the question he had been denied earlier.
He could not contain the confusion in his mind.
"Do you truly believe Saintess Nadia is a heretic?"
"I will not be swayed by a heretic’s silver tongue."
"Then that means High Priest Dibl is also a heretic, doesn’t it?"
"Th-That is…"
The name Dibl still carried significant weight.
His reputation was not so easily dismissed.
"Labeling a bearer of the stigma as a heretic means that you yourselves are the heretics."
"What could you possibly know of the will of the gods?! How dare you call a woman a saint when she released a monstrous abomination, causing a mass slaughter?!"
"Ah, that."
At Rehelon’s outburst, Leon merely shrugged.
"Go ahead—keep seeing and believing only what you want to. Whether Saintess Nadia was truly responsible for the incident or if there was more to it, you'll never know if you keep turning away."
The truth was this:
It wasn't Nadia’s use of a sacred artifact that had summoned the King of the Forbidden Realm.
It was the Pinas Archipelago’s war preparations against the Central Continent that had triggered the event.
If the King of the Forbidden Realm hadn't been replaced, that land would have remained a hellish wasteland, devouring the people and plunging the region into oblivion.
The creature that once lurked in the darkness—the one with countless tentacles—was not merely a beast like the Octowhale.
It was a pure, mindless predator, driven only by its hunger.
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[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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"Let's at least call a spade a spade, shall we?"
Leon extended his hand toward the Blacknight Sword, which lay on the ground.
It trembled faintly before shooting toward his grasp as if drawn by a magnet.
"If Saintess Nadia hadn’t used the sacred artifact, the Pinas Archipelago would have been entirely wiped out—not just Remilish, but every nearby island as well."
"……."
Rehelon narrowed his eyes.
“Whether you choose to believe it or not is up to you. But with your level of authority, you could at least investigate why the damage stopped there.”
Leon’s sword tip pointed at Rehelon.
“Saint Nadia is a heretic. The evidence: she is an incomplete saint incapable of performing large-scale miracles.”
The only flaw of the current saint, Nadia Ten Lilibel.
But Leon didn’t see it that way.
“She’s not even twenty years old yet.”
“……”
“Unless Saint Nadia was born into sainthood, she had a life before that. Didn’t she?”
“What are you getting at?”
“Thinking that someone who was suddenly forced into sainthood will be capable of performing all miracles perfectly—that’s the height of arrogance. And yet, the so-called wise men of an entire kingdom brand her a heretic.”
Clang!
Leon’s sword slashed through the air, sending an invisible sword wave flying toward Rehelon, who barely managed to parry it.
This was completely different.
That was no longer the level of a Sword Master.
His strength, speed, the density and volume of his aura, and his mastery over it—everything had changed.
He was a true powerhouse.
A force beyond the wall separating masters from legends.
“After burying a person alive like that, do you really believe your god will welcome you into His embrace?”
“Blasphemy!!”
Rehelon roared and charged at him.
“Even to someone ignorant of theology, this just seems wrong. Turning a blind eye, plugging your ears, and simply doing as you’re told by those above you—that isn’t devotion.”
* * *
In a pristine, white office, a man sat savoring his tea.
“Baril-nim, what should we do?”
Though his attire appeared to be that of a low-ranking cleric, the individuals bowing before him were all high-ranking priests.
“Hmmm… That ugly duckling is finally making trouble.”
“What are your orders?”
“And the high priests?”
“They’re waiting for your swift decision.”
“Heh. To think the ones leading this Holy Kingdom could be so clumsy in their handling…”
He chuckled softly and set his teacup down.
“I hear that High Priest Dibl has joined the effort?”
“Yes.”
“Hah. The man with no political ambitions—the one who found that ugly duckling most displeasing—what drove him to such a decision?”
After a moment of contemplation, he asked,
“By the way, I heard there’s someone holding off five Sword Masters alone, including Sir Rehelon?”
“Yes. The masked figure’s identity is difficult to discern, but… they’ve been holding out for six hours now.”
“Hmph. It seems I made a mistake in dismissing their strength as mere bluster.”
“Do you know them?”
“No. I’m not certain, so let’s put that matter aside for now. Still, I should have realized it when the saintess made contact with him…”
He paused before asking,
“And how is that plan coming along?”
“It’s nearly complete. We’re ready to act on your command.”
“Good. Then proceed.”
“What happens next will be interpreted as divine punishment upon the people of the Holy Kingdom, caused by the incomplete saint’s misguided prayer.”
He smiled wryly.
“But if the saintess somehow manages to perform an actual miracle…”
“What’s there to worry about? Humans only see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear.”
“Still…”
“No need to worry. No matter what miracle she performs—unless it is something on a transcendent, divine scale—this situation will not be resolved. She will be irreversibly branded a heretic.”
“Many people may die.”
“The Holy Kingdom needs a perfect saint more than it needs its people.”
At Baril’s words, the man nodded and left the room.
As he walked away, a priest following him cautiously asked,
“Um… Bishop, who exactly is he that you treat him with such reverence?”
“Hmph, it seems you still don’t know. Well, considering how he appears to be just an ordinary priest, that’s understandable.”
“But even the high priests show him such deference…”
“Once you understand his true nature, you’ll see why.”
“His true nature?”
“Don’t ask any further, if you value your life.”
The priest fell silent and followed the bishop with a troubled expression.
“Then… what exactly is he planning to do in Laphel?”
“Hmm, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to let you in on a little secret.”
The bishop glanced at him and asked,
“Tell me, when do you think a priest holds the greatest value?”
The priest tilted his head.
“Hmm… When they use healing magic? Or purification magic?”
“That’s right. But these days, the Holy Kingdom’s influence has greatly diminished.”
There were many reasons for this—the scarcity of high-level priests and the presence of an incomplete saint among them were major factors.
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[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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