Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Chapter 20 - Clairheim Morr #4
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Trigon’s scales were tougher than expected.
Rather than slicing through the scales on its chest, Luther looked back at the ruined Chain Axe blade, which had shattered like it was trying to smash them, and eventually lifted Clairheim Morr again.
“Integra, can it be used in a pinch?”
[The power stored in Clairheim Morr has been completely depleted.]
[Due to the low unlock rate of Clairheim Morr, external power supply is not smooth at the moment.]
[It would be extremely inefficient, but if we force power injection from here, it should be usable for about 5 seconds.]
“No way that after those 5 seconds, I’d completely pass out or something... right?”
Integra shook her head at Luther’s question.
[It won’t be that bad.]
[It’s like firing two full-charge Buster Cannons?]
“I see.”
No wonder she called it extremely inefficient.
To only operate for 5 seconds with the power of two full-charge Buster Cannon shots—Clairheim Morr’s power consumption was enormous, but the energy loss during transmission seemed even greater.
[Once the unlock rate increases, energy transfer efficiency should improve.]
[We’ll also be able to use Clairheim Morr’s own energy charging function.]
“Own energy charging?”
[Yes, it supports solar charging.]
[It seems it hasn’t been able to charge because it’s been indoors for so long.]
At Integra’s words, Luther took a fresh look at Clairheim Morr’s blade.
He’d wondered why it was black—turns out it was for solar charging.
“Hmm... somehow, it feels a bit embarrassing.”
[Aw, why? If you think of it as a sword that fights with the power of the sun, doesn’t it sound cool?]
Was there a difference between “ah” and “uh”?
Luther chuckled involuntarily and nodded.
“Yeah, thinking of it that way makes it better. Anyway, Integra, I’ll leave it to you.”
[Understood, Master.]
[I’ll activate the Twin Drive system.]
[It’s really only 5 seconds, so hurry!]
The moment Integra finished speaking, golden lines traced over Clairheim Morr’s blade once more, and the ultrasonic blade began to hum.
[5]
[4]
[3]
[2]
[1!]
And it really was just 5 seconds.
An incredibly short time, but enough, just like when he’d severed Trigon’s neck.
“The cutting power is insane.”
Trigon’s scales, which had wrecked the Chain Axe’s axe blade, sliced off like butter.
[Master, please hurry.]
[Power is dropping too fast; it’s unstable.]
Normally, Luther could fire 3-4 full-charge Buster Cannons.
But after already fighting once, consuming two shots’ worth of power at once made Integra’s anxiety understandable.
“Got it, just a bit longer.”
With that, Luther pried open Trigon’s chest and extracted the magic stone with his knife.
Trigon’s massive size wasn’t for show—the magic stone was enormous, incomparable to any he’d harvested before.
“It’s huge.”
Jogres’ magic stone had been fist-sized, but Trigon’s seemed larger than two fists combined.
[The stored energy is substantial.]
[And Master, after absorbing up to the third fragment, we can now read information from magic stones, not just Dragon Hearts.]
[If we fully absorb Trigon’s magic stone, we should be able to develop a new function.]
“Oh.”
Very welcome news.
Integra had created the Neutral Flame Radiator and Pile Bunker based on info from Valboa and Astra’s Dragon Hearts.
So, what weapon could come from Trigon’s magic stone?
“A cold air radiator?”
Trigon’s signature was its icy cold breath, after all.
Integra hummed playfully at Luther’s guess.
[Maybe?]
[But we won’t know until we fully absorb the magic stone.]
[Don’t get your hopes up too much—but do expect something. Got it?]
“Got it, I’ll look forward to it.”
Integra giggled at Luther’s reply, then appeared in her life-sized form and said,
[Then, Master, while absorbing the magic stone’s energy, shall we have a constructive talk?]
[First, go wash your hands.]
“Yeah.”
His hands were smeared red from extracting the magic stone.
As Luther washed them in the seawater, Integra, squatting beside him, spoke.
[Thanks to this discovery of Clairheim Morr, the importance of Sword Emperor Clausewitz’s Eight Divine Weapons has been upgraded from Level 3 to Level 7.]
[Accordingly, I’ve determined it’s time for a discussion about the Eight Divine Weapons with you, Master.]
Sword Emperor Clausewitz’s Eight Divine Weapons.
In the original story, they only existed as lore, so they weren’t significant, but as Integra said, things had changed.
The Eight Divine Weapons were all Galactic Federation military armaments.
Thus, in this nano-machine-infused world, only one person on the planet could fully wield them.
[You could truly be called the sole heir to the Sword Emperor.]
[More precisely, the heir to the Sword Angel?]
Sword Angel.
Who was she?
Why had she come to this planet?
An accident? Or for some purpose?
That wasn’t all he wondered.
Sword Emperor Clausewitz had fought evil dragons to establish the Human Holy Empire.
So, how much did the evil dragons know about the Sword Angel and the Eight Divine Weapons?
What connection existed between this planet’s true gods and the Sword Angel?
And were all these events linked to why Luther himself had come to this world?
[Suddenly, it feels like plot hooks are overflowing.]
[How about focusing on the most immediate one for now?]
At Integra’s suggestion, Luther stroked his clean chin and turned to her.
“The immediate plot hook?”
[Yes, the one right in front of us.]
Smiling brightly, Integra stood and spread her arms wide.
[What’s in Sword Emperor Clausewitz’s Eight Divine Weapons?]
[Naturally, that’s the most curious part, right?]
Tilting her head as if to say “isn’t it?”, Luther nodded unwittingly.
“Indeed, as expected of Integra. So, what’s in the Eight Divine Weapons?”
[Um, Master? I’m not the one who played Dragon Hunter Origin—you are?]
“Ugh, whatever. Who memorizes all the game lore? I’m not some shut-in gamer.”
[Unfortunately, you’re right.]
[Then, your kind assistant will explain.]
Clearing her throat with a cough, Integra snapped her fingers lightly, creating a new projection.
[According to info from Arma Valentine, the Eight Divine Weapons consist of eight armaments.]
[Sky Giant.]
[Mobile Fortress.]
[Heavenly Armor.]
[Star-Cleaving Sword.]
[Sun-Shooting Bow.]
[Shield Guarding the Moon.]
[Iron Horse Surpassing the Gale.]
[Final Armament.]
As Integra named each one, black silhouettes appeared above her head.
They were Arma Valentine’s conceptual sketches, compiled from legends, sightings, and records across regions.
[Nothing is known about the Final Armament.]
[Records only mention that Sword Emperor Clausewitz called it the ‘Trump Card’ inherited from the Sword Angel.]
Unlike the others, only a question mark sat in the Final Armament’s spot.
[We can’t do anything about the unknown right now.]
[Anyway, Master, we’ve confirmed that the Star-Cleaving Sword Clairheim Morr has an ultrasonic blade.]
[Of course, with only 13% unlock rate, greater power may be hidden, but what matters is it matches the legends exactly.]
[In that sense, the Heavenly Armor, Sun-Shooting Bow, and Shield Guarding the Moon are likely armor, bow, and shield as named.]
Of course, with armor as a nanosuit and sword as ultrasonic blade, the bow and shield wouldn’t be ordinary either—but they were probably personal armaments.
[But the Sky Giant, Mobile Fortress, and Iron Horse Surpassing the Gale are likely different from those three.]
[The Sky Giant is a combat giant robot, Mobile Fortress a battleship, and Iron Horse Surpassing the Gale a tank, I suspect.]
[Saying it out loud, it really is broken.]
[Giant robots, battleships, and tanks in a fantasy world.]
[No wonder Clausewitz founded a nation.]
Luther thought so too.
A massive steel giant tearing apart evil dragons, an air battleship raining aerial bombardments from the skies, a massive tank pounding the earth with multiple missile launches.
Just imagining it stirred the blood.
“What’s the Final Armament?”
[Who knows, but as the ‘Trump Card,’ it’s probably greater than the first seven.]
[Hard to imagine, though.]
[Maybe an antimatter bomb?]
“Nah, no way.”
Luther waved it off, but he couldn’t help wondering.
An antimatter bomb would fit ‘Final Armament’ perfectly.
[Or maybe a super giant robot formed by combining the other armaments.]
[That’d be kinda cool... Wait, Master. You’re seriously getting excited, aren’t you?]
[Oh my.]
[Men are boys at heart.]
[But that’s what makes you cute.]
And she giggled.
Luther, who’d instantly regressed to a childish boy, blushed unwittingly—but it couldn’t be helped.
A super giant robot from combining the Eight Divine Weapons?
Any man’s heart would race at that.
‘Of course, the real chance is low.’
In any case, all Eight Divine Weapons would clearly play major roles in stopping the apocalypse.
Thus, Luther couldn’t help thinking about the next ones to acquire.
“Heavenly Armor and Sun-Shooting Bow are in the imperial family... where are the rest?”
[The Sky Giant is in the east, Shield Guarding the Moon and Mobile Fortress in the north.]
[Iron Horse Surpassing the Gale and Final Armament locations are unknown.]
[But since Clairheim Morr emitted a Galactic Federation signal, the others likely can too. Gather enough fragments to boost my computing and intel-gathering, and we’ll find them no matter where.]
“Oh.”
Luther clapped softly in admiration at Integra’s confident assertion.
“As expected of our capable Integra. The best. Not just a pretty face—great figure, smart too. How did such a kind, beautiful, talented support AI become mine?”
[Ahem.]
“Great personality, gentle voice, cute and charming yet seductive. And that hair—under moonlight, it’s like real silver, isn’t it?”
[S-Stop.]
“Those golden eyes are stunning too. Sometimes like moonlight, sometimes the sun. Even your toes are pretty, Integra.”
Integra’s face flushed redder at Luther’s nonstop mindless praise.
She loved compliments but was shy underneath.
[Stop! I said stop!]
[Just one verse! One verse!]
[You’re praising my toes now? You’ve never even seen them!]
At Integra’s tantrum, Luther chuckled and said, as always,
“You’re so cute.”
[Argh, you jerk!]
Whose temper did she inherit to be that adorable?
Laughing heartily again, Luther stood and said,
“Well, that’s enough. Time to move.”
[I’ll get revenge later.]
“Sure, I’ll look forward to it.”
Luther grinned as if welcoming it fully, making Integra pout again—but briefly.
Regaining composure with a breath, she said,
[So, Master, what’s the plan from here?]
“First, regroup with Ash... but we need to figure out where we are. You scouted an escape route earlier?”
[Yes. Shall I guide you?]
“Please.”
[Understood. Activating navigation.]
White arrows appeared before Luther’s eyes, as always.
Grabbing Clairheim Morr and Chain Axe, Luther left Trigon’s corpse behind and stepped out.
And after about an hour.
Riding the Air Striker toward the wind-swept ceiling, Luther soon basked in hot sunlight.
But the outside view wasn’t entirely pleasant.
[Master, as expected, Trigon’s nest connects to an island.]
Indeed.
An island.
A small one with a single sandy beach, maybe a hundred meters long.
Naturally, endless ocean stretched around it.
“Trouble.”
No land seemed within Air Striker range.
He might have to build a raft and head out to sea.
[We can pinpoint coordinates via stars and use the preloaded sea chart.]
[Or a passing ship might—oh, no.]
[Master, ship at 7 o’clock.]
At Integra’s words, Luther whipped his head around.
Sure enough, a ship passed about 1 km away.
“Lucky.”
[That’s some cliché dialogue.]
[Anyway, Master, we need to hurry. It’s faster than it looks.]
As Integra said, the ship was swift.
A three-masted vessel with sails billowing stiffly in the tailwind—impressive.
“Let’s go.”
Luther hopped on the Air Striker and flew toward the ship.
[Master, they’ve spotted us.]
A crewman in the crow’s nest shouted down.
On deck, the captain-like figure and others gathered, some holding crossbows.
[Seems just caution for now.]
Luther agreed.
Thus, he slowed the Air Striker and landed gently on deck.
“For starters, I’m not suspicious.”
Luther raised his hands as he spoke, but no immediate reply.
The middle-aged captain squinted at him, crossbowmen still aimed steadily.
Well-trained bunch.
[Master, this persuasion feels unconvincing again.]
[A black-clad man flying in on a metal rod from the open sea claims he’s not suspicious—who’d buy that?]
‘What am I supposed to do then?’
Right then—
“Magic... user?”
The captain asked tensely; Luther nodded promptly.
“Something like that. And I’ll pay passage.”
Pulling out a gold pouch from his backpack softened the captain’s expression.
[Money’s the best, as expected.]
[Let’s ride this momentum and persuade.]
[But if they drifted due to Kraken, they might not believe it—better fabricate another reason.]
After slight hesitation, Luther opted for honesty.
Attacked by Kraken, drifted, trapped on the island—spotted the passing ship and flew over.
The captain, hearing it all, nodded believably, against Integra’s prediction—no suspicion.
“Reports of Kraken attacks on ships have been coming in lately. You’re lucky to survive such a close call.”
“Yeah.”
See, Integra?
Truth prevails?
[Coincidence, pure coincidence.]
Integra downplayed it, but embarrassment laced her voice.
Deeply satisfied, Luther smiled and asked the captain,
“Where’s this ship headed, Captain?”
The captain grinned, pointing ahead.
“Saint Elena Island. Famous for Baros Auction House—know it?”
“Oh, Baros Auction House.”
[Master, you know it?]
Integra asked at Luther’s quick reaction.
Maintaining his smile, Luther explained rapidly.
‘South’s biggest auction house. Before or after the tidal wave disaster, it’s a spot for rare special items. Close to Malkuth Kingdom too.’
[A place you’d like, Master.]
‘Yeah, casinos and entertainment galore. Isle of Pleasures, I guess?’
[Entertainment?]
‘Uh? Uh, yeah. Strip bars and... that sort of thing?’
[It really was a 19+ adult game!]
[Master’s a pervert! Lowlife!]
‘No, why’d it go there? I’m purely after special auction items...’
[Here comes the unconvincing persuasion human.]
“You alright?”
The captain’s last words snapped Luther back.
Awkwardly smiling, he replied,
“Ah, yes. Just reminiscing about Saint Elena Island.”
“Oh, been there? Heaven on earth, right?”
The captain chuckled; Luther’s face grew more awkward.
“Y-Yeah.”
[Hmmmmm.]
Luther flinched at Integra’s meaningful tone, narrowing his eyes.
It hit him—why was he minding her so much?
‘No, maybe I should?’
But before he could decide, the captain spoke again.
“This regular auction’s rumored to be grand. Malkuth Kingdom’s High Priestess is attending.”
“High Priestess... you mean Matriel High Priestess?”
“That’s her.”
Queen, Grand General, High Priestess.
Malkuth Kingdom’s three spy candidates.
And one was Matriel High Priestess.
A chance to meet and observe her directly.
At Baros Auction House, no less—perfect for rare items.
“Really lucky.”
Grinning, Luther turned toward Saint Elena Island.