Chapter 294: Levantine Empire (3)
Chapter 294: Levantine Empire (3)
“…You’ll give me a heart attack if you tease me like that twice.”
“My, my. I didn’t know one could reach the level of killing a man with a mere look in such a fashion.”
Uh, well. So that was a joke too, right?
Coming from a Sword Master, it didn’t really feel like a joke.
After a brief, awkward laugh, Havel finally shifted his gaze away from me and looked toward Helena, who was the nominal representative of our group.
“First, I offer my sincere congratulations on the filling of the seat of the Apostle, which has been vacant for three hundred years.”
“Thank you. It is also an honor for me to meet the sharpest sword that protects the Empire.”
“Sharpest, indeed. I am merely the oldest sword.”
He waved off the conventional greeting with a bitter smile, but his expression suddenly shifted to one of gravity as he continued.
“I believe it would be best for both of us to dispense with the pleasantries… What do you think?”
“I would prefer that as well.”
“I like that you’re quick to the point. Then I shall move straight to the business at hand. As far as I know, you were engaged in a war against those cultist bastards in Solaris until very recently. Why, then, have you come all the way to Valder? If you have come seeking asylum, the Empire will gladly welcome the eldest daughter of Righteous Light.”
Ah, right. From the Empire’s perspective, they would have sent reinforcements just a few days ago, so they’d assume the fighting was still ongoing.
A person of the Saintess’s stature secretly visiting the Empire in the middle of a war? It’s natural to think of it as seeking asylum.
Given the Empire’s good relationship with the Church of Righteous Light, they would have more than enough reason to send a Sword Master to greet Helena if she were coming to seek refuge.
It would be the reunification of old roots that everyone in the know is aware of.
Not only would the majority of the citizens who follow the Church of Light be ecstatic, but it would also be purely beneficial in terms of both religion and military power. This was likely their way of showing sincerity.
Entering the city under the guidance of someone of a Sword Master’s caliber would at least preserve her dignity.
It was probably a gesture to ensure they stayed on good terms and avoided any potential friction.
As if reaching the same conclusion, Helena spoke firmly, her face tightening slightly.
“The war has already ended in our victory. The cultists were annihilated, and only about half of the monsters survived to flee.”
“Hoh? The reinforcements were of a decent size, but I didn’t think they were enough to resolve things so quickly.”
“Before the reinforcements arrived, we were able to overcome the crisis thanks to Brother Yandel and Professor Iona here.”
“Then I have been rude. However, if that is the case, I must ask the reason once more. For what purpose have you visited the heart of the Empire?”
“…I cannot say at this moment.”
“‘At this moment,’ you say. Which means you intend to speak only to His Majesty. Well, fine. Though I have been delegated some authority, in the end, I am nothing more than a simple man of arms. The judgment is for His Majesty to make, so I shall fulfill the duty entrusted to me.”
“By duty, you mean…?”
“My duty as a messenger. I shall guide you to His Majesty now, so follow me.”
With those final words, Havel stepped out the door and waited for us.
We looked at each other for a moment before nodding and rising from our seats.
Helena took the lead, with the others following behind. Carla, Elisha, and Iris followed at the very back, given their current status as slaves.
Following Havel, we began to head across the city of Valder toward the Imperial Palace visible in the distance.
As expected of the Imperial capital, many people were passing by, but it was a sight to behold how they immediately moved aside to the left and right upon seeing Havel and Helena at the front.
If they were citizens of Valder, they would at least recognize Havel’s face, and even if they didn’t, those two radiated such an extraordinary aura that people probably just moved out of the way instinctively.
As I tilted my ear slightly, I could hear whispering voices from the surroundings.
“Hoh… Hasn’t it been a long time since the Sword Duke left the palace?”
“He’s been in seclusion for a while since that incident. By the way, who is that lady right behind the Sword Duke? Her atmosphere doesn’t seem like that of an ordinary priest…”
“Aigo, man, you’re behind on the news. You saw that flash from the East Gate, didn't you? They say that was the work of the Saintess of Righteous Light herself. That’s why the Sword Duke is personally acting as her guide!”
“…Why are you only telling me this now! Quick, let’s offer a prayer!”
What was ‘that incident’? And what’s this about him being half-secluded?
Since H&A primarily revolved around the Academy, I didn’t know the detailed political situation of the Levantine Empire.
In the future Fafnir saw, it seemed like nothing but trouble came from getting involved with the Levantine Empire, so I had intentionally avoided it… It was probably because if one stood out, they’d end up being targeted by the Imperial Consort or something.
For that reason, I was curious about Havel’s circumstances, but what actually concerned me more was the impression they got from looking at Helena.
I’d been feeling it lately too, but that peculiar sense of holiness radiating from Helena seemed to be getting stronger and stronger.
And while the flavor was a bit different, I felt something similar from Havel as well.
A sharpness that felt like looking at a single blade. I had reacted instinctively to a sense of crisis—the kind that makes the back of your neck go cold and your body tense up without you even realizing it.
I’ve seen several people stronger than me until now, but it had never been like this.
The Sword Expert professors I met a few times at the Academy, the two High Magicians around me, the high-ranking clergy I saw often in Solaris, and so on.
From them, I only felt a strong momentum; they didn’t have that unique atmosphere like Havel and Helena.
Even Helena was ordinary before she became a Saintess.
Perhaps this wasn’t a difference in power, but a sense of dissonance flowing from a gap in the very grade of their existence.
In fact, when Righteous Light descended, that holiness became even stronger.
…Which makes things quite enjoyable in various ways at night, but let’s set that aside for a moment.
Anyway, a Saintess becomes a vessel for a god and is essentially a demi-god-like existence, so that’s understandable.
But it bothered me a little that I felt a similar sensation from Havel, even if only for a moment.
People often say that a Sword Master is one who has surpassed human limits and stepped into the realm of superhumans.
Archmages are called those who have reached miracles through magic.
What if those weren't just words born of awe, but the literal truth?
Helena is still inexperienced as a Saintess, and the only Archmage I’ve seen was the Chairman, whose soul was worn down to the bone, so I hadn’t properly grasped it… but looking closely at Havel now, I realized it.
A Sword Master is a transcendent.
Now I understand why Sword Masters and Archmages are treated as asymmetric assets.
Since they are beings who have transcended humanity in the first place, it must be difficult to face them with human strength.
…Then just how strong is the Apostle of the Evil God who defeated a Sword Master? If an Apostle is at this level, what about the Evil God itself?
I had reached the end of the Intermediate Magician stage, and my status window had become quite impressive. I had inherited the secrets of a famous magic family and even absorbed some of the secrets of the Sylvan Magic Tower, which had always stood right below them.
Thanks to that, I hadn't felt lacking in martial power even when fighting in Solaris, and recently, I had even obtained a cheat-like trait like Origin Regression in Fafnir’s lair.
Yeah. To be honest, I was getting a bit conceited.
I thought, At this rate, even if the Evil God is released, won't I be able to just take them all down easily?
Yeah, no. I was completely mistaken.
One had to transcend humanity just to stand at the starting line.
Thinking about the final chapter of H&A, which could only be cleared by forming a party of transcendents like Havel, a sigh escaped me involuntarily.
“Haa…”
But this is the only way, right? Then I have to do it, what else can I do?
I felt a sense of daunting vastness looking at Havel’s back—he wasn't even on guard against me, yet he showed not a single opening—but I did gain something in my own way.
Should I say that the vivid presence of a completed transcendent acted as a stimulus toward the next stage?
If I were to reach that realm, what would I look like? How would I use magic, and how would I handle mana? Things like that.
If a Sword Master is a blade that cleaves the world, an Archmage must be an existence that twists the world. After all, magic is about realizing things that are physically impossible.
No, that’s not it. Magic ultimately comes from an individual’s imagination and will. But humans are beings who grow up seeing their own world.
Unless one’s mind has completely snapped, it’s impossible to see the world through a distorted lens.
Then it’s the opposite. It’s not about distorting it, but about assimilating with it. Shouldn't I become the world itself?
…But how on earth do you do that? Aren't the gods the ones who assimilate with the world and become a part of it?
That’s probably why the Five Good Gods always base their power on the natural forces commonly seen around us…
What about the Evil God?
Why are those things—who never stay in a specific world, but roam the dimensional rifts, craving the death and corruption of intelligent beings at every turn—called gods instead of monsters?
I don’t know. I don’t know a single thing.
I feel like I’m on the verge of understanding something, but there’s nothing substantial. It feels beyond just grasping at clouds; it feels like I’m swimming inside the clouds themselves.
Well, of course. This is an enlightenment far too early for me, someone who has only just reached the end of the Intermediate Magician stage.
However, this tingling sensation will surely be of help someday.
Let’s be satisfied with having had a preview today and forget about it.
Just as I shook my head to clear away the lingering thoughts—
“…Hm?”
I hadn't noticed because I was lost in thought, but Havel was glancing back at me.
Was it because I was staring too intensely?
“Sir Havel? Is something the matter?”
“Mmm…”
“If my staring was bothersome, I apologize.”
“That is fine. Regardless, you are a talent of the Levantine Empire. I do not know what you saw in me, but if you can gain anything from it, would that not lead to the great fortune of the Empire?”
“I am truly grateful that you say so.”
I tried to end the conversation with a slight nod, but Havel, who had been glancing this way again, stopped me.
“Wait!”
Then, as if he had something to say but couldn't quite get it out, he hesitated for a long time before finally pointing cautiously at Carla.
“I understand she is your slave, is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Would you consider selling her to me?”
“…Excuse me?”
She’s not for sale, though.