Chapter 76
Chapter 76
11. War of Faith -7
Swiik—
I pulled out the monstrosity I'd loaded into the carriage beforehand—the one I'd picked up from Joero's secret warehouse.
A crude hunk of metal, stupidly thick, pointlessly heavy, and looking like it had traded away any sense of aesthetics for a handful of shit. A deformed shield capable of switching into greatsword mode.
It seemed there had originally been a name engraved on the shield's surface, but the engraved letters had been so roughly defaced that I couldn't make them out.
Since I couldn't just keep calling it "the deformed shield" forever, I'd temporarily named it 『Claw』. I took it from the idea that a tiger can hide its claws and then unsheathe them.
Elijah had laughed and said, "Doesn't it just make you think of cat claws first—" but⋯⋯ anyway.
Clank—!
The moment I gripped the handle, a heavy load ran up through my forearm.
'Perfect for a field test.'
The opponents were ten holy knights. On this planet, where the Church of the Holy God effectively ruled the entire continent, holy knights were violence handpicked on a national scale. By Earth standards, they'd be positioned around B-rank hunters.
In short, they were ideal opponents for testing this thing's tricky gimmick.
'It converts the opponent's impact force into Magic Power, and once it charges past a certain threshold, it switches to greatsword mode⋯⋯ right?'
The problem was that the "certain threshold" hurdle was fairly high. A half-hearted tap wouldn't even register. It meant I had to get hit hard enough that my shield arm's wrist ached before I could finally draw the blade.
So I could only hope their fists were as fierce as their greed.
"You there. Of all people, you chose to serve the Saintess. Your judgment is pitiful. Consider dying here your punishment for serving the wrong master."
While I was holding the shield and sizing up my positioning, the holy knight at the front sneered from behind his helmet. His voice alone was enough to imagine what kind of face he had. I adjusted my grip on the shield and let out a chuckle.
"'Serve the Saintess,' huh. Isn't that a strange way to put it? I follow the Saintess, but the one I serve is the Holy God. They say your words reveal your thoughts, and judging by your speech⋯⋯ it seems you normally serve a human, not a god. Are you a heretic, by any chance?"
"⋯⋯You've got a mouth on you. I'll deal with this insolent brat myself."
The one I'd scratched stepped forward, grinding his teeth. Given how overblown his reaction was to such a minor remark, he really did seem to think that way⋯⋯ and he probably wasn't the only one.
They used a power called 『Holy Power』.
A mysterious force specialized in recovery rather than attack, used to create holy water and cast spells. According to Church of the Holy God tradition, it was a power originating from a blessing bestowed by the Holy God, but⋯⋯
It manifested even without believing in the Holy God. So the order was reversed. Priests and holy knights didn't gain 『Holy Power』—rather, people who gained Holy Power became priests and holy knights.
In that state of affairs, there were bound to be more fakes than genuinely devout ones.
For now, the fact that they didn't all rush me at once was a favorable turn.
"Die!"
The holy knight charged with his shield thrust forward. A textbook rush. He meant to crush me under the full weight of his body and armor.
Instead of dodging, I thrust 『Claw』 straight at his face.
KWAANG!
With a dull burst of sound, the two masses of metal collided.
[Impact Conversion: 3%]
⋯⋯That's all it filled up?
The holy knight's eyes went wide. Not only had his charge been stopped, but I hadn't been pushed back a single step. There was that much of a gap in raw strength.
Thud—!
Disappointed by the charge amount, I shoved the holy knight back with the shield and prodded a little more.
"For all that talk, you're pathetic."
"Y-you bastard⋯⋯!"
The holy knight, staggering with a flustered expression, drew the sword at his waist. Soon, gleaming slashes infused with Holy Power came flying in succession.
KAGANG, KANG—!
[Impact Conversion: 6%]
[Impact Conversion: 7%]
The holy knight tried changing the trajectory of his sword strikes this way and that, but I could see them all. I adjusted the shield's angle and took every attack, but it wasn't worth the effort. It seemed I'd have to let myself get hit to use 『Claw』.
"That's enough. Let's stop."
Kkagak—!
I twisted my wrist and tilted the shield. The holy knight's sword slid along the sloped surface, leaving his torso wide open. I could have stabbed him with a dagger, but these holy knights would be useful if kept alive.
I put strength into my shield hand and swung it sideways.
PWEOK—!
"Guk!"
Hit in the torso by the shield's mass, the holy knight doubled over and gagged as if struck by a giant blunt weapon. I swung the shield again over him. This time from above to below.
KKUNG—!!
"Ughk!"
A heavy sound rang from his helmet, and the holy knight went quiet with a single short scream.
Once one of them went down that quickly, the remaining nine holy knights hardened their expressions with tension and began taking proper combat stances.
"He's skilled. Stay alert!"
"That thing in his left hand doesn't seem to be a shield. A hammer without a handle⋯⋯ judging by the impact sounds, it's safe to treat it as a large hammer. Has some weight-reduction magic been cast on it?!"
"Form up and surround him!"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
I stared down at the shield. With its internal transformation function, it was certainly stupidly thick for a shield. But did it really sound like a hammer?
Swinging it wasn't that burdensome a weight. And as far as I knew, it had no attack-assist function while in shield form.
I could probably clean up the holy knights just swinging 『Claw』 around as is, but what I wanted was a field test. They needed to hit me. If several of them hit me at once, it might charge faster.
So let's fight with a bit less force. Then I could keep the battle going to some extent⋯⋯
KUNG—!
"Huaaak!"
[Impact Conversion: 8%⋯⋯ 10%⋯⋯ 11%]
"Die! Die!"
"This monster⋯⋯ haah, why won't you fall?!"
"Don't judge by appearances! Treat him as having strength on par with a troll!"
⋯⋯This isn't working.
Sure, I was strong, but the holy knights' level was also unimaginably poor. Their physical strength was stuck at the level of a civilian who'd worked out a bit.
In a peaceful world, that much would be plenty impressive, but these guys were holy knights. Did they not train normally?
I let out a faint sigh and gripped the shield with both hands. If the gap was this wide using only Magic Power-enhanced physical ability without even using a Skill, a proper fight didn't seem possible⋯⋯
Let's not waste time and move on quickly. I'd get another chance to test it later.
KWAAANG—!!
I kicked off the ground and leaped into the middle of them. Facing the fear beginning to sprout one by one in the holy knights' eyes, I calmly swung the shield.
It didn't take long for the scene to wrap up.
KUNG—! KUUUNG—!! KWAAJIK!
The coachman blinked. The scene unfolding before his eyes didn't feel real. But since rubbing his eyes several times didn't change anything, it seemed this was actually happening.
Holy knights were flying through the air.
Every time the white-haired young man swung that handleless hammer (though whether you could call it a hammer, he wasn't sure), they couldn't withstand its force and dropped one by one.
Holy knights. Monsters who had completed steel-like training and were even imbued with Holy Power. And yet⋯⋯ they were being swept away like mountain bandits being subdued by a regular army.
And the battle ended in under ten minutes.
"Guk, geok⋯⋯"
"Ugh⋯⋯"
Leaving only the groans of Church of the Holy God holy knights, each with armor dented somewhere.
They weren't supposed to be the kind you could handle that easily. When the 'Family' had tried to take down one vicious holy knight, it had taken over fifty able-bodied men and heavy losses before they barely succeeded.
And even the one they'd taken down then had been a rookie who'd just received the holy knight title⋯⋯
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
Startled!
The coachman, who had been staring blankly at the sprawled holy knights, hurriedly turned his head at the voice. The white-haired holy knight, showing no sign of fatigue, was wiping the remaining bloodstains off that strange blunt weapon.
"Pardon? Ah, yes⋯⋯ thanks to you stepping forward first⋯⋯"
"Good. Now let's gather up those holy knights and get moving again. I'm sure you packed rope separately in the carriage."
"⋯⋯Pardon? But those bastards tried to steal the Saintess's belongings. They deserve divine punishment. This is a forest with few travelers, so we should dispose of⋯⋯"
"There's a place I need to use them. They need to confess every detail of what they know about me to their masters. Help me bind them. I'll load them onto the carriage."
Deliberately leaking information?
The coachman knew that a massive religious event would soon be held by the Church of the Holy God, and that the Saintess was showing great interest in it. There was surely an invisible battle happening beneath the surface.
Thinking of that, shouldn't the existence of a sharp blade be hidden? And the enemy's holy knight numbers should be reduced while they were at it. The coachman's expression colored with puzzlement at such thoughts.
The white-haired holy knight saw that look, thought for a moment, and asked.
"I'm asking just to check in case there's any misunderstanding—are you affiliated with the Family?"
"Y-yes, I am."
"The Saintess has a big picture she's drawing. I was dispatched for that purpose. You were probably told to cooperate with me."
"Well⋯⋯ yes, but."
He had been told to grant whatever the accompanying holy knight wished. But he'd thought that meant to humor him well⋯⋯
Swik—
The white-haired holy knight pulled out the 'Family' insignia from his chest. A grubby handkerchief. But its meaning changed according to the shape of the embroidery stitched in the corner.
The embroidery he produced showed three swords. He was one of the Saintess's close aides.
"I've kept quiet until now because information must not leak even by accident. But the fish has taken the bait, so from now on, follow my command. Listen carefully."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
"We'll tie those holy knight bastards loosely and load them onto the carriage carrying the goods. Then we'll deliberately induce an escape. Do you understand?"
"What?! Wasn't the carriage carrying important goods⋯⋯"
The coachman raised his voice in surprise, then clamped his mouth shut with both hands. He rolled his eyes, worried the downed holy knights might have heard, but the holy knight before him was unruffled.
⋯⋯A current of wind was circling the area. The coachman didn't know it, but the vicinity was currently being soundproofed by 『Azure Wind Wanderer』.
The white-haired holy knight said quietly.
"Didn't I say the fish has taken the bait?"
"⋯⋯So even that was part of the plan!"
"Yes. But it would be strange for a warrior who took down ten holy knights alone to be so careless. So you'll need to create a reason why I wouldn't notice the escape."
"I'll have to pretend to ply you with drink⋯⋯ Understood. I'll play along."
The coachman nodded.
And after that, the coachman put on a performance as 'a country bumpkin fawning over a promising holy knight,' raising all sorts of commotion. Asking to be put in charge of watching the bound holy knights, begging to offer a drink to the hero who'd saved his life—
While pretending to vent his anger by kicking the bound holy knights, he also dropped a small metal fragment that could undo their bindings.
The white-haired holy knight, for his part, laughed awkwardly as if burdened, saying he'd have just one drink, playing along. Listening to his voice alone, he seemed by all appearances a naive and virtuous holy knight who couldn't even refuse the coachman's urging.
And in fact.
The ten holy knights detained in the carriage, feigning unconsciousness while observing the situation, judged exactly that. So the Saintess had brought some monster from a backwater mountain. His skill was formidable, but perhaps there might be a chance to escape. They thought.
"⋯⋯That's right, Holy Knight! I've suffered long years under those hollow shells of holy knights. So how could I not express my gratitude upon meeting a holy knight worthy of the name? Please, accept one more drink!"
"This is awkward. It is awkward, but I can't ignore your sincerity⋯⋯ truly, just this one last cup."
But the coachman could see it.
Jureureuk—
The eyes of the man who accepted the cup and immediately poured it onto the ground were coldly settled, like a white snake with its scales bristling.
That night.
'Was the bestowed artifact the Saintess supposedly excavated really in this carriage?'
'It's there. It looks like a book. Written in readable script. If only we could make off with it⋯⋯'
'No, that white-haired holy knight is a monster. Rather than getting recaptured while trying to steal it, we should prioritize getting the information out. I'll grab the book and act conspicuously to draw attention. That'll raise our chances of escaping.'
'Then let's memorize as much of the book's contents as possible before escaping. You and you will buy time even if it means throwing your bodies away, and we'll⋯⋯'
The holy knights judged shrewdly. They abandoned excessive greed and made escaping to deliver information their top priority. That was how dangerous the white-haired holy knight was.
'That shield—it's a bestowed artifact, right?'
'Yes. It can't be anything else. Is it imbued with a blessing that enhances physical strength?'
'Then the rumor that the Saintess discovered an ancient ruin is nine-tenths true.'
A bestowed artifact.
A powerful authority granted by a true god who gives in proportion to service—not the cruel Holy God who bestows nothing upon His children. They judged that Noah Won's shield was such a thing.
If so, that white-haired holy knight was on par with a 'high-ranking holy knight' who had received a bestowed artifact from the bishops. Their miserable defeat was no great flaw.
'If only I had received a bestowed artifact⋯⋯!!'
'If only I'd had a bestowed artifact, this wouldn't have⋯⋯'
How could a mere human dare oppose the power of a god? The power granted was this immense. So training and effort were useless.
But if they succeeded in escaping, who knew. They might be able to receive even a small scrap of it.
They attempted their escape at the moment when moonlight was dimmed by clouds. Of the ten holy knights, seven were recaptured, and three ultimately succeeded in escaping.
'We did it!'
'Right—would a guy so careless he lacks even the basics know how to properly swing a sword? That's why he swung that strange hunk of metal instead of drawing a blade!'
The holy knights, frantically shoving through the underbrush as they fled like madmen, sneered at the white-haired holy knight.
"⋯⋯Tsk, even your running form is pathetic."
They were already in the palm of his hand.
After the rats with poison tied to their tails scattered in all directions, the coachman and the white-haired holy knight sat talking before the campfire.
Tadak. Tak. Sparks popped, and the reddish firelight illuminated the two men's faces. The coachman, his wrinkles deepened by a hard life, and the holy knight, who seemed not to have a single wrinkle, made for quite a contrast.
"You're⋯⋯ twenty-seven, you say? You look much younger."
"Yes. And you, Coachman?"
"Hm, ahem, I'm thirty⋯⋯ five or so."
"Ah, really? I was surprised because you look younger than I expected. Haha."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
It was all the more striking because they were close in age. He'd inflated his age to earn a bit more respect—in truth, the coachman was in his late twenties.
The coachman traced his own face, which looked well past forty-five, and felt a sense of relative deprivation. Did holy knights not age? Surely not.
Maybe he was a noble?
"It's nicely roasted. Please, eat first."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"
His manner was humble and courteous, with no arrogance, so he didn't seem like one. He was even oddly deferential toward his elder. The coachman, unfamiliar with the Confucian respect-for-elders spirit of a distant planet, simply thought he had a good character.
A strange man.
The coachman glanced at the carriage parked by the roadside and spoke.
"Holy Knight. If you captured them to release as bait, what do you plan to do with the seven still in the carriage?"
"Well. I'd thought that if we spread rumors about transporting an important bestowed artifact, flies would swarm the carriage, but I hadn't thought about what to do with the flies left over after catching them."
"⋯⋯If what I've heard so far is correct, your and the Saintess's first goal is."
"Yes. For me to quickly gain renown within the Church of the Holy God, enter its inner circles, and build the minimum foundation needed to speak with the bishops and influential figures. No one would pay attention to a holy knight parachuted in by the Saintess."
"If that's the case, I have an idea."
"I'd like to hear your thoughts."
Look at that.
He could have dismissed him as a country bumpkin, but instead he asked for his opinion without hesitation. The coachman stroked his patchy beard and spoke.
"How about putting on a show? Strip the armor off those captured holy knight bastards and dress 'Family' members in it. Then, in the middle of the city, have them pick a fight with you and get knocked down one by one. Then⋯⋯"
"⋯⋯Hold on. The idea seems good, but would that work? Aren't holy knights high-ranking?"
"Pardon?"
"As elite as they are, and as few in number, their faces would be publicly known. Stealing their armor to deceive people seems risky."
"Ah, no. Holy Knight. At the very least, the citizens don't know a holy knight's face at all. Those stiff holy knight bastards are the type who wear their helmets even in midsummer, refusing to show their faces to their lessers."
Which was exactly why the white-haired holy knight before him stood out. Because he lacked the arrogance of a superior looking down on those below.
"⋯⋯Is that so."
The white-haired holy knight's eyes sparkled at the coachman's words. Then, as if he'd finally thought of a way to use the captured holy knights, he wore a satisfied expression.
The coachman was inwardly pleased, wondering if his scheme had been accepted, but what actually happened went in a slightly different direction.
The central plaza of a nearby city. On its best spot, as if it were only natural, stood a Church of the Holy God building. The structure was wealthy, gleaming, and immaculate.
So much so that passersby nearby shrank their shoulders, intimidated for no reason.
Deolkeong. Deolkeong.
A carriage rolled into that space, wheels turning. Then the carriage's rear door opened, and seven large lumps of something spilled onto the ground.
TEOK! WAREREU!
"Good heavens, holy knights! Bound holy knights from the carriage⋯⋯!!"
"Wh-what is this? Guards! Guards! Someone has bound and brought holy knights here!"
The seven bound holy knights were roughly shoved from the carriage and rolled across the ground. As citizens gathered in shock, one more holy knight stepped down from inside the carriage. He was not bound.
That holy knight strode through the sprawled bodies, stood tall, and removed his helmet, tucking it under his arm.
He was striking. His pure white hair sparkled in the sunlight.
In just those few seconds, he had captured the hearts of passing women. That holy knight shouted in a ringing voice, putting strength into it.
"I am Noah, a holy knight serving Saintess Andersen! We were attacked by these ruffians while passing through the forest road!"
Ungseong-ungseong—
"Attacked? You're saying holy knights attacked fellow holy knights⋯⋯?"
"They attacked the Saintess's carriage?"
An internal conflict?
The citizens already knew that the Church of the Holy God was not what it used to be, and that greedy bishops were at each other's throats. But they hadn't known it had come to swinging swords at each other. And against the Saintess, no less.
Raising a blade against the carriage of a figure who was practically the center of Holy God faith?
Just as that unease—like hearing that soldiers within one's own army had pointed guns at each other—began to stir the crowd into murmurs.
"Don't lie! We are of the Moon-Shadow Faction⋯⋯ guk!"
One of them, having chewed through the cloth gag in his mouth and finally worked it loose, tried to shout, but the white-haired holy knight stepped on his solar plexus and silenced him.
Then, shaking his head firmly as if casting off the lie, he continued his explanation.
"At first, I was shocked, thinking we'd been attacked by fellow holy knights. But no! These men are not holy knights—they are fakes who stole holy knight armor! Bandits! This number is proof. If they truly were seven holy knights, how could I alone have subdued them—!"
"Bandits⋯⋯! And they even impersonated holy knights?!"
"And so, the reason I have come here is that I have recovered what was stolen!"
KUNG!
The white-haired holy knight stood proudly in place and shouted.
"Now then. I have come to return the stolen goods, so I ask that a representative of the Holy God Order come down and collect their equipment!"
It was the moment the holy knights who had tried to attack the Saintess's carriage were instantly rebranded as bandits.