Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: The Second User
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When I thought about it, I didn't even know who my enemy was.
Even though I'd faced him directly and fought him, I still didn't know Grimudo.
Why had he built his fortress in such a desolate wasteland and lived there alone?
With that kind of power, he could have conquered the demonkin—no, the entire continent.
What was he hoping for? What values did he pursue?
No, did he even have a purpose?
There was nothing known, nothing uncovered. In the end, he remained shrouded in mystery, hiding his true self behind a veil.
When I thought about it, I'd never seriously considered Grimudo before. I'd just thought of him as the enemy of the village that I'd have to defeat someday.
That hatred might have blinded me, preventing me from seeing him as a person.
'On the contrary, I know a fair amount about Harmael, whom I've never even seen, but I really know nothing about Grimudo.'
The unifier of the demonkin, shrouded in rumors. The Demon King who was bringing the fractured demonkin together.
Harmael, also called the Immortal Demon King, was the Empire's immediate threat. Everyone knew she was strong, but much about her had been revealed through various channels.
In contrast, Grimudo, who had lived so long he was called an Ancient Demon King, was almost entirely unknown. Whenever we defeated Demon Kings, we'd always interrogated them about Grimudo, but even they knew next to nothing. Whether he was strong or weak, what abilities he had—everything was veiled in secrecy.
There was one thing known.
Every Demon King revered him almost like a god, viewing him as a legendary figure to some extent. Now that I'd faced him myself, I could understand why they thought that way.
Even we, who had clashed swords and whips with him, knew only that he was incredibly strong.
His weaknesses, any favorable matchups, even how to exploit him—
Everything was an unknown realm. Every technique he used was something we'd never seen or heard of.
I definitely needed to learn more about Grimudo.
As I was thinking that, the princess spoke.
"Of course, that's only if the Empire sits idly by."
Ldein—no, Miss Ardein—smiled brightly.
"Saint. When I return, I'll start by reforming the Empire's intelligence department. I've abandoned my ambitions for the throne, but in this situation, whoever becomes emperor will just be a puppet for the temple and the nobles anyway."
She bowed her head to me in gratitude.
"My life isn't worth so little, Saint. I have nothing to offer right now and owe you a great debt, but next time we meet, I'll properly repay you for saving me. If I oversee the Empire's intelligence department, information on the Cycle will eventually come my way."
"Princess, but... do you have the funds to return to the capital?"
"If you lend me some, I'll repay it tenfold."
As expected of the Steel Princess. Asking to borrow money so boldly.
"Money aside, can you really travel to the capital alone?"
"I came alone... Ah!"
It was just a concerned remark, but it seemed to hit the mark. The princess flushed red and slumped down.
"I'm no longer a leper patient. Bandits or mountain thieves won't avoid me anymore."
"Did you really come alone in the first place? People might avoid you, but what about wild beasts or monsters?"
"Honestly, I left it to the heavens."
Her voice grew smaller.
She'd left it to luck, apparently.
"Back then, I didn't think I'd recover, so I was sure I'd die. To be honest, I thought I'd die on the way here. Even if I barely made it, I figured you couldn't heal me, Saint."
She came here alive because she sought death.
People might avoid her, but monsters and beasts wouldn't pass up rotting flesh. Yet she'd safely made it from the capital to here, evading all those threats...
Was this the Lord's guidance? Or just coincidence?
Either way, it was clear she couldn't rely on luck for the return trip.
Especially now that she was healed and had a bright future ahead.
"I suppose I'll have to hire mercenaries?"
"If my skills hadn't regressed while I suffered from the illness and I hadn't weakened so much, traveling alone like this would have been no big deal, just routine..."
The princess sighed. Anyone would feel that way after losing what they had.
With her flesh rotting away, how could her martial arts remain intact? Though the leprosy was cured, the Steel Princess was already rusted and broken in places. Right now, she was barely at the level of a swordsman who could hold a blade.
To recover her mana levels, relearn her lost swordsmanship,
And regain flesh, muscle, and strength on her body, she'd need time for rehabilitation.
Time that flows equally and fairly for everyone.
I couldn't give her that time,
But the Lineage Sapling could.
"Since the Lord guided you to me, I'll take a gamble too."
With the Lord behind games of chance, it was a bet I could make with some confidence.
Honestly, I wasn't sure if this was the right decision. I just had faith.
That the bond between her and me wasn't mere coincidence.
"What do you mean all of a sudden?"
"That this decision today will lead to saving more people."
Between my hands, the sapling bloomed. A divine sapling unlike any ordinary tree's.
The Lord's miracle that brought results without effort.
"I'll stake myself on that possibility."
I decided to bet on the chance that quickly restoring the princess—perhaps even making her stronger than before—
Would help counter the unknown threat of the Cycle.
The angel had said there was a reason the Lord gave me the Lineage Sapling, and that reason surely wasn't to let it rot unused.
***
The darker and more twisted one's life, the deeper the karma accumulated.
The karma the princess had built was incomparable to Roca's. Naturally, the shock she felt upon seeing her branches was far greater than what Roca had experienced.
"This can't be real."
The princess muttered, lost in shock and fear. The infinitely branching futures told of all her possibilities.
Among them were branches where she learned painting, others where she pursued music. Branches for improving her dexterity, others for honing swordsmanship. She could do anything! Becoming a jack-of-all-trades wasn't a dream.
If this was possible, why spit blood studying?
If this was possible, why swing the sword through sleepless nights?
Achievements piled up and offered to the Lineage Sapling could be attained instantly. Overwhelmed by awe, the princess trembled, unable even to choose a branch.
She'd never heard of such a miracle. No, this was a miracle to begin with. One that should come directly from a god.
Since only a miracle could make this possible, there was no doubt it was one. The question was, who the hell was this Kyle guy to wield such a miracle at will?
'Unlike authority, miracles come directly from gods.'
Even saints or saintesses rarely performed one or two miracles in their lifetime.
Even as a saint of the Ancient Gods, this crossed the line. The miracle itself crossed it, and Kyle's capacity to wield it crossed it too. It was terrifying that such a fearsome being had been hidden in obscurity. The value of this sapling was immeasurable.
'Just who is he...'
"Are you not going to choose? If so..."
Of course, being shocked was one thing,
But letting this golden opportunity slip was another.
The princess shook her head firmly and quickly. Shopping time was fun.
'First, the future where I invest time to restore my abilities.'
The moment she felt about a third of her accumulated karma consumed, she gasped at the surging power of mana. The mana that appeared without warning handled so naturally.
Her peak strength had truly returned. As if it had always been there.
So sudden yet natural, it felt utterly unreal.
'M-Maybe I was dreaming that I'd weakened? The leprosy was just a nightmare, and when I wake up, I'll be in bed.'
With her power back, her body felt as light as a feather. Testing with a kitchen knife, it swung exactly as she remembered.
So shocked, the princess didn't even rejoice. She was just dazed. This was truly absurd.
'It's not fake. It's really working. I don't understand the principles or anything... but it works. That's what matters. No more thinking.'
Knowing the opportunity was real, she needed to choose her remaining branches carefully.
Like a picky housewife, the princess examined the branches meticulously, seeking the best possibilities. Far more time passed than with Roca, who had boldly gone all-in on one.
'The possibility where I break through to Master realm and create Dragon Aura.'
But as they say, all paths lead to the same end—her choice wasn't different from Roca's.
All-in.
'I'll bet everything on this branch!'
Kyle nodded. The sapling required his approval to activate.
In that instant, an inexplicable enlightenment flashed in her mind, breaking down in detail and forcibly imprinting itself. Her body naturally surpassed the next barrier, mana aura burst forth on its own and began condensing. It soon took the form of a dragon and let out a mighty roar.
"Whoa..."
The princess jumped, and so did Kyle. The roaring dragon's cry shook the spaceless void between heaven and earth. Unlike mages, swordsmen refined mana into mana aura.
That's why knights and martial artists could stand equal to magic or divine power, forming their own unique styles.
Mastering compression and explosion of mana to develop mana aura made one an Expert, and advancing to comprehend and embody one's unique mana aura made one a Master.
How long had the princess lived to impose her own subjectivity and create her personal mana aura? Talent mattered for Master, but so did years of experience and maturity.
Yet the Lineage Sapling bypassed all those hurdles and broke through the realm. Just thinking about it made her body tremble, her breath quicken. Her heart pounded.
With this miracle that trampled effort, turning the imperial army into a superhuman force wasn't a dream. Having confirmed this, she couldn't let it stay hidden in obscurity.
She couldn't claim it for herself, but letting it fall into others' hands was even worse. Even though she wasn't the end of it, the Lord had given the Lineage Sapling to His apostle.
Such is the Lord's will. Humans grasp fragments of it only after the fact.
The foolish woman, repeating the same mistakes, was captivated by the miracle before her and failed to grasp even a part of its intent. She was merely enchanted by the sapling's power.
She thought of rallying the half-collapsed imperial faction with this miracle.
Since it had declined due to Ardein's fault, shouldn't Ardein restore it?
She hadn't learned nothing from the past. She no longer coveted the throne. But she wanted to help her father, who had suffered because of her. No matter who became the next emperor, she didn't want their imperial authority to remain as weak as now.
"Saint, won't you come to the capital with me?"
"I'm sorry. There are still many in Larphentia who need the Lord's divinity."
"There are many such people in the capital too. Just a short visit would suffice. I'll empty the imperial treasury for your reward if needed, so please come to the capital. I beg you."
Not content with bowing her head, she even knelt to plead.
Clashing with the temple was dangerous. But it was necessary.
The Triad Faith had dominated the continent too long, and it was too late to tidy up. Excluding Heaven God Aldehir and Evil God Oberta, most denominations had declined to the point they couldn't rival the Triad Faith.
Even though the Triad Faith had built a nation called the Papal State, their foundation was a church. They couldn't seize secular power solely on their own.
If the great nobles of the provinces, central bureaucrats, and border generals hadn't sided with the Triad Faith, would the Empire's imperial authority have fallen this far?
If they hadn't all turned on the princess at once, even with leprosy, Ardein would have received at least minimal respect.
To exclude them from politics, this side needed wielders of divine power too.
If Kyle joined her, it was entirely possible. It meant breaking the Triad Faith's prestige and forcing out those allied with the Papal State.
She didn't want to drag her benefactor Kyle into politics.
But what he'd shown was too much for that.
"I'll pass through the capital... but I won't stay long. If that's okay, will you travel with me to the capital?"
After much deliberation, Kyle reached a decision.
However, his destination wasn't the capital, but far north of it.
The North Pole. Precisely, Grimudo's Polar Citadel.
The fastest way to learn what the Cycle was
Seemed, for now, to be asking the Ancient Demon King himself.
Whether he'd answer was another matter, but with only one method available, he had to try. It was better than just praying in this house.
The Lord helps those who help themselves.
If Kyle did nothing, the Lord generally did nothing too.
"Sure!"
The princess nodded gladly. Later matters could be handled later. For now, the priest coming to the capital was what mattered.
The rest could wait. For Kyle and the divinity behind him, she'd provide anything.
'Brother. You have to watch from heaven.'
Not as the princess, but as the woman Ardein, she bit her lip and muttered.
'The sight of me getting revenge on those who drove you to death.'
Her enemies were overwhelmingly strong, but the Lineage Sapling had given her power.
Power surpassing her youngest, strongest days—power she'd only dreamed of.
No longer burning with the confidence of old, the woman slowly began to plan.
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