Chapter 97
Ami is leading the troops and entering Dürtemund.
Already in turmoil due to the incidents involving Frikkanrisk and Krain, Dürtemund is even more unsettled.
Although barely under control by the heroes, priests, and soldiers, there are significant cases of looting goods or people panicking.
It’s not uncommon for the Archbishop to attack a major city.
Of course, they were monsters that one couldn’t easily predict or speculate about, but historically, it was so.
It can’t be said that an army of 3,500 is an enormous force. However, their terrifying aspect lies not in their power, but in their exceptional reproductive ability, surpassing even insects.
The citizens felt great fear towards the priest-class Altepf, who could breed offspring from human hosts.
Rumors circulate ominously that six surrounding villages of Dürtemund have already fallen victim.
Naturally, individuals were given priority over communities or families.
Due to the chaos, even Krain’s execution was temporarily postponed. He is imprisoned in the Dürtemund branch church’s prison while the war rages on.
Frikkanrisk may be eager to make a decision regarding him, but now is not the time.
I, too, quietly observed the war preparations in Dürtemund, reading the flow of the situation.
…Thus, the Dürtemund branch church, facing a state of emergency, called upon the Hailion team. Fin and I joined them.
“Dürtemund is facing an unprecedented crisis. A horde of malice emits the stench of hatred and blood, threatening with its ominous fangs.”
Distorted light from the high ceiling made of various stained glass illuminates the interior of the church.
Various images representing the sacred tree, Yggdrasil, and the warriors guarding it, along with the first magician, are depicted in a splendid style.
Inside the church.
Warriors from Dürtemund stand in line along the long nave and aisle.
At the forefront, in front of the choir stalls and altar, stand Hailion and his team. Fin and I kneel, listening to the continuous speech.
The head of the branch, the Archbishop of Dürtemund, speaks with a calm yet firm voice that resonates through the church.
“I, Clementsto, the Saint King of Dürtemund, hereby command Hailion and his team.”
The King of Dürtemund, bearing a staff engraved with the symbol of Yggdrasil, strikes the ground twice. This was a ritual before assigning a mission to the warriors.
“Protect Dürtemund from Archbishop Ami and his troops.”
A clear order was given.
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The command of the King of each branch, as well as the decree of the Holy Emperor of the central church located in the heart of the continent, is absolute. The warriors must follow it without question.
It is easy to understand if one thinks of it as a form of integration between the military and religion.
Hailion and his team responded briefly and decisively with their acceptance. They showed no sign of dissent towards the command.
After exchanging a few more words about the war information and procedures, mine and Fin’s names were mentioned.
“Choose the students of Academia, Shugenhardt Troa Bargan and Toyren Troa Fin.”
Upon hearing this, it was a context similar to that of Frikkanrisk.
The threshold of this battlefield is too high for students to be forced to participate. Would it not be a waste for students who have not fully developed their talents to die?
King Sung asked us.
Whether we would participate in this upcoming war or not.
Additionally, he mentioned the matter of Frickan Risk.
“The contribution made by our young warriors to Dortemund is significant. Restoring the relationship with the Twelve Gods Frickan Risk and clearing their names. Even if only exposing Crane’s misdeeds, no one will belittle our warriors.”
In essence, it means that even if we take a step back, there will be no harm. It is a message that suggests if one is unsure, one should temporarily retreat and let their talents blossom in the future.
Furthermore, based on the conversations circulating in private, it was said that upon returning to the Central Church after being recognized for our efforts in this matter with Fin, we would receive a fitting reward.
It is not a bad idea to stay still to receive this, without any issues.
However… being satisfied with just that is not enough.
I have yet to obtain the approval of the Army’s Judgment.
Moreover, where is the honor in fleeing from a battlefield where victory is assured? Following Haelion, it is an opportunity to easily elevate glory.
King Sung’s inquiry came to an end. A moment of silence lingered.
Now it is our turn to respond.
The voice echoes loudly, akin to a cave.
“I, Shugen Hearts’ third son. Shugen Hearts Trois Bargan.”
I gently raised my head to look at King Sung. It is a noble’s etiquette to maintain basic courtesy.
“For the glory of the church, and for Dortemund. I will accept the call to the battlefield. That is my declaration.”
Of course, Fin is the same.
***
After informing the church of our participation, Fin and I followed Haelion to the Dortemund Church’s armory.
It was not as large-scale as Academia, but the overall quality was higher.
Considering that the weapons provided at Academia were for practice, it was only natural.
Watching the display of gleaming weapons, Fin asked Haelion.
“Is it okay to take anything from here?”
“Yes, normally a much more complex procedure would be required, but considering Fin and Bargan students had dealings with Frickan Risk and were suddenly brought into this, it was simplified.”
Although still a loan rather than a gift, it was a gesture of goodwill even in this place.
Well, what can I say. With various weapons inside the white, there was nothing particularly appealing here if it wasn’t suitable for the Central Church.
However, for Fin, who had been carrying around Academia’s practice weapons, it wasn’t a bad option.
“Hmm.”
Fin and I browsed through the weapons, pondering what to choose. As expected, nothing stood out.
The storage condition and quality were decent, but compared to what I had, it was lacking.
It seemed a bit unnecessary to search in here when I didn’t even use the items inside the white for training.
Lost in these thoughts, Haelion approached with a grin.
“Seems like nothing catches your eye?”
“To be honest, that’s correct. It’s not very exciting since it’s just a loan.”
“Unless the items are personally acquired by the warriors, the church’s items are communal property. I’m sorry, but I can’t give them away as gifts.”
“I understand. I just need to find something suitable… huh?”
Continuing the conversation with Haelion while inspecting the weapons, my gaze fell upon a very old-looking dagger.
Its condition was the worst.
While the others shone as if polished yesterday, this one seemed to have been retrieved from a tomb, with the rust not removed.
I picked up the dagger to examine its condition.
As all armies are. The condition of the standby items is not always good, but this is excessive. Without a specific reason, such…
Perhaps, the probability of being an artifact with a specific power is high.
When the purification process is carried out, the assigned formula may become twisted. Or, it may be so fragile that it cannot remove rust. No, in that case, contact with air would also be avoided.
In any case, if it were just a normal rusty weapon without any magic, it wouldn’t be stored in the church, so it must be an artifact.
“Choosing something unusual?”
As Haylion injected a small amount of mana and analyzed, he asked. Indeed, he is quite interested in every little thing I do.
“I’m just curious about its properties.”
“It’s better not to have high expectations. The fact that these weapons are not stored separately means they are probably only of 3rd grade even if they are artifacts.”
His words are correct.
If it were rare or valuable, it wouldn’t be so easy to borrow. I don’t have high hopes either. Just curious.
Mana that was let flow returns, showing the analysis results.
As expected, it is a 3rd grade artifact with a fixed amount of mana inside. It will be destroyed after a few more uses.
The effect… Ah, it seems to help in releasing curses.
“It seems unnecessary for a Vargan student.”
“…That may be true.”
Haylion asked, puzzled by my indifferent response.
“Do you like it?”
“It has a high output with a very low number of uses. If it had more mana inside, it would have been a much higher-grade artifact, so it’s intriguing.”
It is impossible to imbue mana into consumable artifacts.
The ring I used to hold the last time was also a consumable artifact. But the effectiveness was certain.
I asked Haylion.
“Haylion, what happens if the weapon being borrowed is destroyed for some reason?”
“It varies depending on the situation, but most of the time, it’s overlooked. It’s nothing out of the ordinary; it happened during the conflict with Altef.”
Haylion realized that I was considering choosing this artifact and revealed the truth. He doesn’t lie about such matters.
“I will take this dagger.”
Even if this artifact is destroyed through this war.
***
In the middle of the mountains, a little away from Durtmund.
In that snowy place, the winter dragon, Frickanlisk, gazes down at the battlefield where the wind of blood blows.
If you only see this scene, it looks like a painting of a beautiful young woman walking barefoot on the snow.
“Ami…”
Her delicate brow twisted, calling out the name of the one leading Altef from afar.
The deeply embedded rage in her voice now carries the desire to fly and rip the boy’s throat.
But, it’s impossible.
Even as a Twelve Divinity, her power alone was insufficient. Going beyond the terms of the contract made with the human called Vargan is a unilateral act.
“….”
The footsteps of the incident soon lead back to the day when the contract was made with Vargan.
– Help me with your revenge.
That human said.
Even if she wanted to get angry at the human who knew nothing, she couldn’t.
The name he called, Iris.
She knows her true name.
With that alone, he couldn’t easily ignore the existence of Bargan.
Though for a moment there was a suspicion that Ainten had leaked it while alive? The human denied it first.
– You know as well, your husband Ainten is not a man to be trifled with. It is unfortunate what happened to Krain, but isn’t it because Krain acted rudely unilaterally?
How much do you actually know?
How do you know?
Though there was a nuance of hostility towards Krain, was it actually a mistake?
He said, as if knowing her thoughts. He was a human skilled at reading expressions.
– I know the future.
What?
You know the future?
Then is such a deceitful person like a saint?
She, who had seen and heard about numerous saints up to the present day, listened to the story while manifesting the power to visualize thoughts.
– At one time, there were always two saints. Except for those individuals who were not openly revealed to maintain the saintly status in the church, it was always like that.
It is known to the public that one or two saints manifest, but this is not true.
There are always two saints.
If one dies or loses power and becomes inactive for a while, there may be a gap of a few years, but like a law, two revealing themselves is what a saint is.
However, contrary to common sense, the power of a saint is not necessarily bestowed only upon faithful individuals who have intentions for the church.
Also, it is not true that in order to awaken the power of a saint, one must necessarily receive the baptism of the church.
Sometimes back-alley thugs receive this power, and even a notorious murderer receives it.
Therefore, if power is bestowed upon an unworthy individual, and if it is judged that they can be killed or reformed, they are made to operate in the underworld.
The only known saint is Diphelia.
She considered the possibility of a saint being active quietly or soon.
– I am trying to save you.
His opinion was that he had seen the future where she perishes and had stepped forward to prevent it. Bargan had witnessed him calling her.
Honestly, she was skeptical.
However, that human was so captivating that his words were almost artistic. As she continued to listen, her head naturally nodded, and hope appeared.
His thoughts reflected in her eyes were not spitting out lies. If it were lies, no matter how skilled he was, the background would have been painted black, but it wasn’t.
Naturally, he delved into hidden wounds and offered a remedy, saying he knew how to heal them.
Until Jinmyeong writes in the contract of the Chugyikyeong. No, even now, the doubts cannot be completely erased.
He decided to believe in the effectiveness of the contract, not in humans.
The followers of the goddess religion were all unpleasant to look at, but the power of Chugyikyeong is real.
Even if it’s the power of the Twelve Gods, or even if one is exceptional in curses, if they violate it, they perish in an instant.
Cooperation through Belled’s contract to achieve each other’s goals. What she proposed as the fulfillment conditions were.
Rescue and protection of the child.
Authority over Krain’s punishment.
These were the two. He said he would even clear the suspicions as the cost of trust, and he did so easily.
…
For some reason, a sense of unease crept in, as if he had made a deal with the devil.
Even if things were to flow smoothly, there was a feeling that ultimately destruction was waiting.
However.
Even so.
“…If I can protect my child.”
He moved according to the contract.
This time, it was her turn.
The appearance of Frickanlisk, who had finished reminiscing, gradually began to change.
She, who had the appearance of a lovely woman, now transformed into a dragon wearing armor of ice, spreading large wings.
Winter’s dragon.
The original form of Frickanlisk, a twelve-sin dragon.
Wings that were worthy of being called majestic spread out on both sides, stirring up the wind.
Flight.
With a single flap of her wings, a snowstorm erupted below, where she had been standing.
She regained her composure.
The great dragon headed to the battlefield.
Then she will help a little to show that her relationship with the church is no longer hostile.