Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Duel (2)
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"...What in the world were you thinking?"
The words slipped out from Atalante, who was clutching her face. There was a bitterness to her anger, almost like a lament.
I had no intention of responding.
She was probably running herself ragged trying to clean up the mess I'd made.
What I'd done was a diplomatic and political disaster of the highest order, yet she'd handled all the procedures for this impromptu duel coming up.
No matter how you sliced it, she was trying to accommodate everything I did.
Of course, she couldn't hold back a grumble or two.
"To challenge a high combat priest as a mere academy student. Were you in your right mind?"
The words came out in a mutter, accompanied by a sigh.
"Yes."
My flat response only deepened her sigh.
"Even with exemption rights, you've blown this way out of proportion. You know that, don't you? The imperial family and the tribal alliance are already paying attention."
Atalante said it in a low, subdued voice.
"Why did you start something like this? Knowing your personality, I doubt you did it without a plan."
I let out a chuckle at that.
A reason?
Of course there was one.
"The devil's vessel. You told me to seduce it. I found one. This is all part of that plan."
"...We've already confirmed that a 'fragment' has manifested in Yuria Grayhauncher."
Atalante replied in a weary tone.
"She was already one of the vessel candidates, but this manifestation is the fastest by far. Definitely outside our expectations."
Fair enough.
The list of 'candidates' she'd passed along included several others. Given their environments and conditions, a few should have manifested fragments even sooner than Yuria.
Like Liru Garda, a key figure in chapter 3, or Fainol Lifec from chapter 5.
And yet, the reason Yuria had awakened as a vessel faster than anyone?
"...Because she's been in close contact with me, right?"
"..."
Atalante gave a wry smile.
My soul's constitution—loved by all evil.
No matter the angle, it was bound to influence the 'devil's fragments' to some degree.
"Chancellor. Ever heard of the butterfly effect?"
"...Pardon? What's that?"
What else? That bastard.
The main scenario hadn't once worked in my favor since I got tangled up in it. It deserved the name.
Every choice I'd made had snowballed, always coming back to bite me like this later.
'...Though I'm the root cause.'
Honestly, I'd been messing with everything to suit my convenience, so expecting things to follow the 'original story' was pretty shameless.
I'd planned to brush off most of it.
It was all for my survival. I wasn't going to sweat the small influences on others.
But.
There were limits.
Yuria. Lucien.
They'd both been massively affected by my presence.
Yuria had awakened a devil's fragment she might never have stirred without the right conditions, potentially carrying it dormant forever. Lucien had endured brutal torture he wouldn't have otherwise.
"..."
Elnor and Eliya flashed through my mind too.
Them as well.
I'd have to take responsibility someday.
"Anyway."
I gave a wry smile as I spoke.
"There didn't seem to be any reason I shouldn't save her right then. Rescuing someone from torture isn't a bad deed, is it?"
The 'flutter of butterfly wings' that sparked this situation? All my doing, if you traced it back.
So, the responsibility was mine too.
"..."
Atalante stared into my eyes for a moment before letting out another sigh.
It reeked of 'You're ruining my life.'
"A high combat priest is a valuable asset on their side. The Pontiff will definitely react. He might even observe in person."
"Is that so."
"It's not something you can brush off with 'Is that so.'"
Atalante's gaze darkened.
"The Pontiff is dangerous. I don't know what you're planning, but if he gets involved, you'd better rethink it."
I fully grasped what she meant.
This wasn't just anyone—it was the Pontiff. Credo Baor II. The pinnacle of priestly power and leader of the Holy Kingdom.
Even in the game, he'd tormented players right up to the late game as a villain.
No wonder opinions often called him worse than the demon worshippers, the scenario's biggest hurdle.
Even someone like Atalante hadn't intervened lightly, letting Lucien suffer. Charging in now was like throwing an egg at a boulder.
She was saying any more friction with them would just bring danger.
But.
I had no choice but to do this now.
No other options.
'...This is bullshit.'
The situation was absurd all over again.
Just failing the main quest meant game over—my life gone.
And in that mess, my constitution kept drawing in devil's vessels, forcing me to manage their mental states too. Or who knew how their inner devils might rampage.
"..."
Sure, you could say my gift meant any devil would love me anyway.
But depending on the devil's nature, they might hack off my limbs, lock me in solitary, and raise me like livestock.
Their name was 'devil' for a reason. How twisted their affection could get? Even I couldn't guess.
The Gray Devil in Elnor letting me off with just healing and retreating was highly unusual.
In other words:
1. Clear the main quest.
2. Seduce the devil's vessels and manage their mental states.
Fail at either simultaneously, and I die. The difficulty was insane.
"..."
So, if there was a way to break through both?
I'd do it, risks be damned. Pontiff or his damn grandpa showing up.
What could they do?
"The Grayhauncher sisters. Artificial beings created by the Holy Kingdom."
Atalante flinched and looked at me as I muttered that.
This was supposed to be one of the Holy Kingdom's top secrets.
The Homunculus Project. The ugly byproduct of the Pontiff's lifelong obsession—his 'grand undertaking.'
"You know what kind of nature those two have, right, Chancellor? To keep Yuria from deteriorating further after awakening as a vessel, those sisters have to stay with her. Otherwise, her mind really will break."
"..."
"For that, this duel has to happen. We need to shake off the Holy Kingdom's interference there."
"...Can you create that kind of ripple effect? With just one duel?"
"Yes. Definitely."
Not yet.
But I planned to make it happen 'during' the duel.
A ripple that would force the Holy Kingdom to back off.
"..."
I had the means.
Not prepared specifically for this, but if my hunch was right, I had a 'combination' with the value and power to navigate this situation.
"...What on earth are you thinking?"
I chuckled at Atalante's slightly trembling voice and continued.
"You said the Pontiff might come?"
What was I thinking?
Every problem stemmed from them in the end.
To prevent more incidents, I had to settle things with them.
"Tell him to come. It'd be a problem if he didn't."
Yeah.
This was my chance to see that face.
●
The duel venue was a small circular arena beneath the academy.
The judge: Chancellor Atalante. Observers: a few Holy Kingdom personnel, Hermann as the Campbell family's representative butler, and some officials clearly dispatched from the imperial family.
Not a huge crowd, but each one carried undeniable presence.
"..."
Yet, one person stood out more than the rest.
Klein glanced sideways with a slightly tense expression.
Beneath the ornate canopy sat a young man wrapped head to toe in gold—a 'communal illusion' for remote viewing.
The Pontiff was watching the duel personally.
His body was likely deep in the Holy Kingdom's church headquarters, but he'd sent this illusion modeled after himself.
His narrow eyes fixed on the insolent fool ahead.
'On the surface, he's nothing special.'
No need to gauge his skill deeply.
His swordsmanship was decent, but overall ability? Bug-level. Plain as day.
How he'd landed a hit last time remained a mystery.
"The rules are as follows."
Both had drawn swords when Atalante's voice cut in crisply.
"This is an abbreviated duel—no death blows allowed. If anyone sustains a serious injury obvious to all, the duel stops immediately and a winner is declared. Otherwise, it continues until one yields. Understood by both?"
"Understood."
"Understood."
Even facing a high combat priest like him, the guy's face was infuriatingly relaxed.
Klein's forehead vein throbbed at the bored tone.
Normally, not even most academy professors could meet his gaze squarely.
What the hell was this punk?
'I'll smash him to pieces.'
No idea what he was thinking starting this, but he'd challenged first. Meant Klein could legally beat him senseless, no holds barred.
"...Too late to beg forgiveness now."
He flashed a venomous grin.
As he spoke, blessings began manifesting around him.
Holy power took shape as sacred script, swirling nearby.
Each glyph packed immense effects.
Regeneration boosts, physical defense, agility and finesse enhancements...
What a normal priest needed relics and minutes of prayer for appeared simultaneously—a sight that drew awed gasps from onlookers.
'...What an idiot.'
Klein smirked, drawing his sword and eyeing Dawood, who stood frozen.
Holy Kingdom combat priests ranked among the empire's four great powers: alongside 'knights,' tribal 'warlords,' and magic tower 'magisters.'
Knights offered versatility, warlords monstrous melee prowess—but combat priests dominated through these blessings.
The longer the fight, the more blessings stacked, granting near-infinite vitality and defense. Plus raw physical buffs.
That brief window before blessings fully stacked was Dawood Campbell's last chance.
Wasted just standing there.
'Though even knowing wouldn't help.'
A combat priest's skill was measured by stacking speed. At 'high' rank, only peer knights or warlords could exploit the gap in real combat.
No student could, no matter their talent.
"-!"
He launched forward silently, no kiai.
The stone floor shattered like an explosion underfoot. Even one blessing made it that potent.
'No holding back.'
Last time, complacency cost him a hit.
Not with the Pontiff watching. No room for embarrassment.
-!
Clang—their blades met first clash.
Odd given the skill gap, but Klein wasn't rattled.
He'd experienced it once before, knew this was no fluke, and had prior intel.
'Don't go for the kill.'
'...What do you mean, Your Holiness?'
He recalled the Pontiff's advice just before the duel.
'The harder you charge to kill, the stronger they'll match you. That's the ability.'
The Pontiff had said it softly.
Absurd power.
No spells or conditions—just pure intent to kill made you stronger automatically.
'We've seen something similar before. Didn't expect to see it again.'
'...Another person with such irrational power?'
'Yes. There was.'
The Pontiff had only smiled enigmatically.
'Though calling it a "person" is debatable.'
He never named them, but Klein was grateful for the tip anyway.
Dawood kept reacting to his follow-ups.
Bridging the gulf between academy student and high combat priest? Laughable.
Charging full throttle blind would've ended him.
'But.'
The ability reacted to power gaps and 'hostility' levels.
So, attack without killing intent.
No one could perfect the mental shift, but it dulled the edge enough. And it was plenty now.
Dawood, who'd parried lightly before, couldn't deflect everything. No counters—just blocks, some hits landing lightly.
And now.
'Blessing stack.'
The glyphs' glow intensified. The priest's signature—growing stronger over time—shone.
His already ferocious physique amplified, momentum surging.
The slim margin widened.
Failed blocks drew first blood on Dawood.
The gap would only grow. Defeat was sealed. Klein's grin returned.
It played out that way.
Blessings stacked higher, he grew stronger, wounds multiplied on Dawood.
"..."
One irritant: the opponent's blank face persisted.
As if this hopeless bind was all calculated.
His next move stemmed from that unease.
"Hey."
After an exchange leaving a long gash on Dawood's arm, Klein stepped back.
"Why not beg for mercy once? I might spare you the deep cuts."
"..."
Still expressionless. No reply.
Klein's rage boiled over anew.
"It's not to the death, but any non-fatal wound is fair game. Want your body carved up alive? Pain so bad you'd beg for death?"
He menaced with choice words.
But the face stayed blank. Relaxed.
"Huh. What a coincidence."
Just.
"That's exactly what I'm about to do to you."
That was the only response.
●
Klein's face filled with disbelief as I said it.
"...What?"
"Well, it's not a deathmatch, like you said."
I glanced at the window floating before me.
"I've gotta be sure you won't die. Without those blessing stacks, you'd be dead in seconds."
"..."
Klein's expression blanked out.
He hadn't grasped it yet.
Then volcanic fury erupted.
"...You bastard. Are you saying you deliberately let the blessings stack?"
"Not completely hopeless, then?"
Bloodshot rage in his eyes.
"Still cocky enough for pointless taunts."
"Maybe."
First off.
I wasn't that relaxed.
My mind was crunching numbers hard.
What this next move meant. The fallout it'd bring.
Second.
Not pointless taunt. Plain fact.
Without sufficient stacks, he'd die to me in seconds flat.
"...Wish it was just a taunt. Me too."
Usable time? Maybe thirty seconds tops.
But enough.
"Ha. Let's see how long that mouth—"
"Hey."
I cut him off with a sigh.
Think about it. The Holy Kingdom's interest in me boiled down to 'devil's power.'
Essential for the final stage of the Pontiff's lifelong 'grand undertaking.'
The transcendents' power to warp the world's laws.
"Serious advice here."
So.
I'd show them myself.
"If you don't wanna die right away, shut up and focus."
The words ended.
[Using 'Skill: Guidance.']
〓 Current Usable Functions
▶ Possession – Rage {Elnor}
[Confirming demon energy.]
['Seal of the Otherworld' reacts.]
The world.
Turned gray.
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