Chapter 131
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Aerial City - 1
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Esther watched Sian, the hero of Hestia, until he vanished from sight. Then she turned her gaze to the woman who had come looking for her.
"You've arrived, Mother."
She offered a cautious greeting.
At her son's demeanor, the black-haired woman embraced Esther tightly, like a mother bird cradling its chick.
"Yes, my son. Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Then where did Titan go?"
Esther flinched at the chilling voice that seemed to pierce her eardrums.
She felt like a rabbit standing before a serpent.
Somehow managing to keep her composure, Esther answered with effort.
"The hero has already left this place."
"What a shame. I wanted to talk with him."
"Mother, if I may speak out of concern, he is the hero chosen by Lady Hestia. Please don't make a mistake driven by personal feelings."
"And?"
"Pardon?"
"And?"
The first emperor, Astiren.
Some praised her as a great emperor, and history recorded her as the hero who conquered the fallen old kingdom, but the truth was entirely different.
"Do I need to heed that bitch Hestia's opinion?"
She was a tyrant, a vengeful demon, and a butcher.
In the process of conquering the old kingdom, she massacred even innocent civilians. If all the blood of those who died by her hand were gathered, it could form a river of blood crossing the continent.
The reason she committed such sins was solely to honor the twelve nymphs who died for her and her mate who perished due to her own greed.
"Esther, were you scared? I'm sorry, Mommy's just a bit on edge right now."
"...No, it's fine."
"But you have to understand. Mommy hates everything. The Titan who defies taboos, and the goddess who reduced me to this state."
Astiren hugged her son Esther tightly.
The embrace of mother and child was a picture-perfect, beautiful scene, but the Holy Knight observing it felt no such appreciation.
"So understand Mommy, alright?"
"...Yes, Mother."
"Thank you. I love you, Esther."
Instead, it stirred something more unsettling and dark.
Something akin to obsession and loathing.
A black sky where even the one sun and three moons were invisible.
The Black Heaven, a symbol of sin, grew ever deeper in its crimes today as well.
. . .
"The night sky seems especially dark today."
Riding in the carriage led by Rachel, the vice-captain of the 2nd Holy Knight Order, they were heading toward the Holy Kingdom.
The reason for going to the Holy Kingdom was simple. It was faster to go from the capital Carnestia to the Holy Kingdom and then use Ally's mass teleport from the Tower of Wisdom to the village than to travel directly from Carnestia to the village.
'There's the side effect of ending up naked, but shortening the trip by over a month makes it a good deal.'
And I planned to get revenge on her for hurling me naked into the imperial palace.
She'd boasted confidently as a grand magus, but since she failed, she owed me compensation.
Of course, visiting the Holy Kingdom wasn't just to save time.
"Helen and Camilla are waiting for me in the Holy Kingdom?"
"Yes, they're waiting there to hand over the divine relic they've found to you, Hero."
It seemed Helen and Camilla had located the divine relic of the god of lightning and punishment, Tarannis, which I needed to fully heal my body.
"They found something no one had located for hundreds of years."
Honestly, I hadn't expected them to.
I'd thought it would be difficult due to the relic's unique nature and Tarannis's elusive tendencies.
Yet contrary to my expectations, they had accomplished the impossible.
"They were more capable than I thought. The 2nd Holy Knight Order."
"It's only natural, as one of the continent's top knight orders!"
"But compared to the 1st Holy Knight Order led by Sir Peredil, they're pathetically weak."
"Eek..."
The 2nd Holy Knight Order was indeed one of the continent's finest.
But excluding the Black Heaven Knight Order, which consisted entirely of Rank 2 or higher powerhouses, they fell far short of the Imperial Eclipse Knight Order and Solar Eclipse Knight Order.
Even within the Holy Kingdom, they were miserably outmatched by the 1st Holy Knight Order in terms of combat power.
"Doesn't the 1st Holy Knight Order have Rank 3 knights besides the vice-captain?"
"We can't even compare to their seniority."
"There's a huge gap in experience."
Well, I could understand to some extent. Captain Peredil was over 200 years old, while Camilla had just crossed into her forties.
"Anyway, I like that the 2nd Holy Knight Order is fresh and green."
"Fresh and green?"
"You're all young."
"A-Are we young?"
Rachel looked greatly flustered at my words.
"Yeah? None of you are over 40, right?"
"Th-That's true, but that's not exactly young, is it?"
"Really? Compared to the people I've met, you're on the young side."
In this world where those who reached the realm of the strong were at least over 200, forty was still prime youthful flesh.
'My sense of age is all messed up.'
Had it started with Sylvia? Lately, I felt like age didn't matter if they were pretty.
"Hero, you can't view the world from a savior's perspective."
"Then what standard should I use?"
"A more human one..."
"But I'm a Titan?"
"Ah..."
"Hey! Wall ahead!"
Rachel was at a loss for words at my question and nearly crashed the carriage into a wall.
"S-Sorry."
"If it's tough, want me to drive?"
"No, I'll see it through to the end."
Rachel was a somewhat dubious guide, but I decided to trust her for now.
"By the way, Rachel, is the reason you're the only one from the 2nd Holy Knight Order left in the capital because of me?"
"Yes, to escort you to the Holy Kingdom."
"Sorry, making you go through all this trouble for me."
"It's fine. It's my duty as vice-captain. Besides, the Holy Kingdom requires a guide for entry, so it's hard for you to go alone."
"Security must be tight."
"That's part of it, but the entry method is so unique that even you, Hero, would struggle to reach it."
"What's so special about it that you're so confident?"
"We ride the ark."
"???"
I didn't understand Rachel's words at first. But upon arriving at the massive landing field, I realized why she spoke with such confidence.
"The Holy Kingdom's technological level is at this stage?"
A massive airship, reminiscent of Noah's Ark, floated gracefully through the skies.
No matter how rural Lugeron Village was, this was on another level entirely.
'How much money did they pour into this?'
Entering the airship's interior, I was once again astonished. It was as luxurious and elegant as a modern high-end lounge.
"Do ordinary Holy Kingdom citizens use this as transportation?"
"No. The ark runs an exclusive route between the Holy Kingdom and the capital only."
"For something like that, there sure are no passengers."
"There was no scheduled flight today, so that's why."
"Don't tell me you chartered this massive airship just for me?"
"You're an honored guest of the Holy Kingdom, so it's only proper treatment. No need to feel burdened."
"You say not to feel burdened, but I do."
They were using something like this right off the bat for me, showing just how much the Holy Kingdom valued me.
Was the blood of a god that important?
'Titans really are significant, it seems. Both the emperor and the pope want me.'
The emperor for the empire's security, the pope to follow the gods' will as a nymph—different reasons, but to them, I was a treasure they couldn't relinquish.
"Haa... I just want to live peacefully in my rural village."
My dream was to goof around flirting with my wives, watch Ciel and the other kids grow up healthily, and enjoy a quiet retirement.
But reality had the nation's top powers viewing me as a stud horse, a pretty boy hero piling on the pressure, and a tough auntie who looked at me with disdain.
I couldn't fathom why the world wouldn't just leave me alone.
"A hero's life is usually swept up in a whirlwind of fate."
As I sighed, Rachel handed me a glass with a chilled beverage.
"So don't be too optimistic, and think of the connections you might make along the way."
"You're right. Thanks, Rachel. Cheers."
Hm? This is booze.
"Does it suit your taste?"
"Yeah, it's good. Smooth going down."
"Glad it matches your preferences."
"But why booze all of a sudden?"
"You'll see soon enough. There's a view too magnificent to pass without a drink."
"How amazing is it that you're prepping me already?"
I vowed not to be surprised by Rachel's words that built anticipation, but that resolve crumbled before the spectacle that emerged as we pierced the clouds.
"Whoa~ insane."
In the pitch-black sky untouched by the sun, the three moons, or the stars, a lone light stood like a beacon, guarding the heavens like an impregnable fortress.
"Welcome to Asgard."
The aerial city.
That was the true nature of the Holy Kingdom and the driving force behind its influence over the entire continent.
'Should I move here right now?'