Chapter 86
The Twelve Beasts.
Twelve mythical creatures existing in the world.
Originally the apex of each demon faction following the Demon King, after their master, the Demon King, died at the hands of the first sorcerer, they were able to exist on this land without being imprisoned underground and not under the new sorcerer who became their master.
They carry on their lineage along with their unique powers, and currently, only one individual is a mythical being that has existed since ancient times, while the rest are their descendants.
They are each bound to their territory and do not stray beyond it, causing no harm to humans.
This is due to the pact made with the first sorcerer to not interfere in worldly matters.
The power of the twelve demons is vast and mysterious, affecting even nature itself.
For example, when the dragon Frickanrisque, who controls the winter, roars after taking over the northern territories of the Troa Empire, avalanches occur in the mountains of Duertermund, and hail falls when tears of sorrow are shed.
We have revered this astonishing power since ancient times, yet we do not worship the only god, Lord Yggdrasil.
However, out of respect for their grandeur and authority, we separately refer to these twelve demons as “Shinsu.”
– Excerpt from “The History of the Troa Empire and the Twelve Shinsu,” extracted from page 251.
***
Once again, what I will gain from this episode is the throat of Archbishop Ami.
To kill him and gain the Judgmentless Blade.
That is the primary goal.
Perhaps if I stay on course, I will naturally flow along with that.
However, if there is a small issue.
It would be the fact that I have very little information about the incident that Haleyon and his party experienced during this summer vacation, which seems like a side story completely deviating from the main plot of the original work.
If the known existing story goes as follows, Haleyon and his group, who came to subdue Frickanrisque, discovered some entanglement between Frickanrisque and Archbishop Ami, and valiantly faced and defeated these terrifying two without backing down.
With Frickanrisque’s death, the climate of Duertermund and its surroundings returned to normal, and the throat of Ami, one of the fifteen archbishops, was extinguished by darkness, elevating the status of the church.
Furthermore, Haleyon’s already dazzling achievements shine even brighter, and soon his hero ranking rises by one step.
There are quite a few who misunderstand the hero ranking as combat power, and while it is not entirely wrong, to be precise, the hero ranking is a measure of “contribution.”
From Noble mtl dot com
It ranks how much one has contributed to making the world a better place.
In any case, if Haleyon progresses as originally intended, he will move up from 7th place to 6th, and his teammates will share in that honor.
Considering the power and damage caused by the archbishops, it was only fitting. – as it was told, and the students of Academia, who heard the news, were described as all being enthusiastic about him.
…However, there is something unsettling.
Clearly, Haleyon’s might is so remarkable that he will eventually rise to 2nd place in the hero ranking.
Therefore, even if he captured Frickanrisque, who is one of the twelve Shinsu along with Archbishop Ami, with his comrades, it wouldn’t be too surprising.
Most of his comrades are positioned quite high in the rankings, except for one who died during this process.
Hmm. However… However, that said…
– Swoosh!
A certain movement, a certain breath, cuts through the air as it is repeated. The flow of thoughts halts at the sound, involuntarily drawn to it.
A man wielding a sword, Toyren Troa Fin, has a well-trained body that sharply contrasts with the surrounding temperature.
The heat emanating from Fin’s body raises the room’s temperature.
Just being near him gives off a sense of warmth, like the steam from a heated kettle.
Since joining the research council, Fin has been repeating a single movement day and night.
It is the basic and essential movement of swiftly aiming for the opponent’s head, without any variations. Simply straightforward.
“…You’ve improved quite a bit, but you still have a long way to go.”
That was my honest impression upon seeing it.
Even though this movement has been repeated tens of thousands of times, it still feels inadequate.
Considering the fact that his training was achieved solely by Fin’s abilities, taking into account the fact that it is somewhat different from pure swordsmanship due to Haleyon’s relic, the current level was achieved solely by Fin’s capabilities.
So, it feels somewhat unsatisfactory.
It seems that even the weight of the sword, which is not typical and quite heavy, carrying over 70 kilograms in the sandbag, does not have a significant effect.
“I guess that’s enough confirmation about this guy.”
This place is one of the old lodgings in the city of Duertermund, located at the northernmost tip of the Troa Empire.
The guide Kanilla, who was leading us, left instructions for us to wait here and went to pick up the group of Hailion.
Utilizing the spare time that arose, Fin and I began our individual maintenance tasks.
As usual, Fin swung his heavy iron sword, while I checked the condition of the warhorses and supplied mana.
Raising warhorses isn’t something that can be done solely with affection. Continuous and proper care, along with timely supply of good quality mana, is essential.
It’s much more demanding than raising a pet.
⎯Grrr.
As I gently brushed the wolf warhorse’s fur with a comb, he expressed his happiness all over his body.
He nuzzled against me, trying to come inside.
At first glance, it seemed like he was digging in to find a warm place because of the cold. …Truly adorable to the point of being dizzying.
Anyway.
Due to its location at the far north of the vast Troa Empire, Druerte Moonde was a city always accompanied by snow.
Before riding the carriage, if we hadn’t taken the high-speed non-stop, it would have taken weeks to arrive at such a distant place.
It’s natural for the landscape viewed through the rattling windows to be covered with a pale hue of snow.
…If the intensity of the snowfall didn’t obscure the outside shapes so much that they were barely visible.
“This is no joke. I’ve heard about Druerte Moonde, but I never knew a snowstorm of this magnitude could hit even in the summer.”
The noisy sound of the window seemed to disrupt Fin’s concentration, who seemed unable to stop it.
Before I knew it, we were both gazing outside the window.
“It’s not usually like this. The current climate has gone awry.”
“Is this also because of Fricancrisk?”
“Yes. His rampage led to the current situation.”
Hailion’s team was summoned by the Central Church for one reason: to subdue Fricancrisk rampaging near Druerte Moonde.
Due to the winter dragon’s rampage, there has been a severe worsening of the climate in this place where people were already freezing to death.
Crops, livestock, human casualties, building collapses, and other disasters continue to occur.
As a result, the economy naturally collapses, and those not receiving aid perish.
Therefore, after assessing the extent of the damage, the church decided to exterminate Fricancrisk. However, with only average-level warriors stationed near this area, it was not easy to capture Fricancrisk, so they requested assistance from the Central Church.
This is how we ended up coming to this distant place.
⎯Krrr.
The wolf, ‘Nukdol,’ who was peacefully sleeping in my arms, suddenly raised his fur and sharpened his senses towards the door.
Gently stroking his back, I calmed him down. The one who entered through the door was Kanilla, who had guided us here.
“Sorry for the wait. There was a lot of information to confirm, so the delay was longer than expected.”
A man, quite familiar to the eyes, approached from behind her. He had a faintly warm smile. Even if emotions weren’t expressed, he seemed quite natural.
“You’ve been through a lot to come this far. Students from Vargan, Fin. It seems like you’ve grown stronger in the meantime.”
Fin bowed at a 90-degree angle.
“It’s been a while. Hailion…!”
“Thanks to the exceptional quality of the relics you provided, we were able to achieve quite satisfactory results.”
“Your words make me feel accomplished.”
Hailion’s eyes showed no movement at all.
Naturally, one would wonder if that was the face of someone feeling accomplished, but accustomed to Hailion’s way of speaking, it didn’t feel awkward.
A man who wasn’t perfect at handling his expressions naturally.
He does not waste time.
“Then let me explain this mission right away. Let’s head to another room.”
***
“Can you promise that what you just said… is not a lie? If it was false, I’d kill you on the spot, temporary alliance or whatever it might be.”
The eyes of a teenage boy, riding on the bizarre words, turn to the man wearing the reversed hood.
The vertically split pupils reminded of another archbishop’s eyes split horizontally.
Archbishop Ami gives a sinister glare.
Recently hearing of the death of his younger sister-like archbishop, Zagan, his days were not pleasant, and if this was a joke, he wouldn’t let it go.
The hooded man, in his naturally melancholic tone, calmly conveyed the truth in front of the archbishop. He was not lying.
“There’s no reason for me to lie. I have nothing to gain.”
Ami stared as if piercing through the figure under the hood without saying another word.
Ami, who felt the truth in his statement, is momentarily stunned by his smile, which was both pure and cruel.
Ami cheers.
To the extent that he could easily forget Zagan’s death.
He wanted to savor the exceptionally well-aged soul he had been waiting for 15 years.
He wanted to meet.
He wanted to meet you soon and devour you greedily.
Leaving not a single trace…!
Ami, savoring the taste again, looked down at the distant city of Durtemund. It seemed as if he was looking at a piece of the finest meat on a plate.
“If you rush to deal with the work just because Haelion has arrived, it will only mess things up. Make sure to keep your priorities straight.”
Although Ami kept his gaze fixed far away, he knew this. Because Haelion was not his initial purpose for coming here.
“I’ve waited for 15 years. I won’t hesitate even if it’s postponed for a few more weeks. But…”
Ami’s eyes narrow as he looks towards the hooded man.
And then suddenly.
“Ugh…!”
The man begins to suffer. Not because of external stimuli, but as if a problem had arisen deep within his body, he clutches his heart.
The hooded man ends up rolling in the snow, burying his white body here and there.
Ami, who had gently spoken, lifts the man’s chin with his foot, leaving some words unsaid.
Ami’s gaze was indifferent, as if looking at a lower being than livestock.
“Don’t crawl up. Human.”
Although hidden under the hood, it is easy to see that the face, though slightly visible, is heavily creased.
A “Divine Worm” has taken root in his body, pleading for suffering.
The insect that drank Ami’s blood could transform into an Altiph crane whenever Ami wanted, allowing him to inflict pain.
“Our alliance is temporary. And it’s not on equal terms.”
As with any alliance, any contract, establishing it on a completely equal footing is almost impossible.
The alliance between Archbishop Ami and the warrior under the hood was no different.
They temporarily joined forces for this occasion, and even that was composed of unequal terms.
“I will give you what you want. But, if you disturb my peace of mind, remember that I will not hesitate to cut off your head, even if some damage occurs.”
As Hood’s figure listened to Ami’s chilling voice, instead of feeling fear, he began to chuckle.
He wasn’t driven mad by pain or fear.
“Well… if that’s… if that’s the case.”
That was who he was. A hero who, when he had a goal in mind, would stop at nothing to achieve it, regardless of what stood in his way. A fierce desire for something had molded him into this person.
If it meant getting what he wanted, he could join hands with anyone, be it demons, Altif, or anyone else. From the start, as a hero, what he loved wasn’t humanity.
“Heh, hehehehe….”
Even in the midst of excruciating pain that pierced his heart, if it could bring him closer to the source of desire, he could genuinely smile like this.