What Is This? Just Take It (1)
Morgina's mind was busier than ever right now. And most of it was because of Kriel.
It wasn't about strategizing their romantic frontlines. It was obvious that Kriel played a huge part in taming her naturally hot-tempered nature—what the Eve Kaha order rated as "total berserker" tendencies. But not this time.
What occupied Morgina now was Kriel's "constitution" issue. That same constitution that had caused trouble at the cathedral gate. Normally, tossing Kriel in front of the saints would be half-suicidal. Sure, he had the Eve Kaha Champion title, so they wouldn't execute him on the spot, but they'd beat him half to death to neutralize him.
But things were different now.
'Holy power doesn't work? Abyss residue detected? We can make excuses for all that.'
The weak effect of holy healing? Because of the Seven Great Demonic Weapons' curse. The abyss resonance? Also because of the Seven Great Demonic Weapons' curse. And if slamming saint-level holy power directly into him not only didn't cause agony but actually healed him properly, then the "abyss sympathizer" suspicions could be shelved for a while.
That was why Morgina had dragged the reluctant Kriel to the saints for treatment, no matter what.
'If we just get through this once, no priest in the Holy Capital Temris will have anything to say to Kriel!'
Morgina was about to unleash the carefully prepared speech that didn't suit her at all.
"…?"
She sensed something off in the saints' gazes fixed on her. A mix of near-terror bewilderment, curiosity, and pity?
"What. Why are you looking at me like th—"
"Tch."
Kriel quickly silenced Morgina before she could spit out her snide remark. She scowled with a grumbled "Urgh…" but corrected herself right away.
"Hurry up and heal this guy. I can't handle him alone."
The saints didn't bother with retorts like "Aren't you a saintess too?" They'd realized a better way to poke at Morgina's temper, and they had a hunch that treating this Champion would yield some entertaining gossip.
"Old timer. Take this."
Ignoring the ominous anticipation in the saints' expressions as they swarmed Kriel—suppressing it forcibly—Morgina tossed the Corpse-Eating Sword Gratuon to the elderly Martial Monk.
It looked more like a bundle of red iron chains at a glance. The old monk caught the chain bundle effortlessly and clicked his tongue at the sinister pulsing aura emanating from within.
"What is this? Even wrapped in your holy armament, it radiates such a ferocious presence."
"Gratuon."
"One of the Seven Great Demonic Weapons? Heh, I never thought one of the Seven Great Demonic Weapons would pop up out of nowhere in this backwater."
"You're the leader of this bunch, so report it to the Holy Capital yourself. I'm taking this guy straight to Eve Kaha's headquarters."
The Martial Monk scratched his white hair. Saints were the type who usually wandered off to their own urgent tasks rather than sticking around the Holy Capital, but this was different, wasn't it?
"Didn't you two reclaim a Seven Great Demonic Weapon? If we report it, they'll at least throw a welcoming ceremony—or no special events due to security on the Seven Great Demonic Weapons, but rewards for sure?"
"…Not him."
Morgina muttered under her breath. So quiet even the old monk, with senses beyond mortal limits, wasn't sure he'd heard it right.
"Hm?"
"He doesn't want to stop by the Holy Capital. Damn it."
The end of the sentence, so unbefitting a saintess, dripped with thick regret.
I could hear Morgina grumbling behind me.
"Come on, if we just go to the Holy Capital, that priest-king brat'll dig out some dusty 300-year-old fancy armor from the ceremonial warehouse or whatever? Stop being so prickly and let's go together."
"I have no business in Temris."
Truth be told, it was a place I dreaded visiting. I hadn't expected the cathedral gate's abyss detection to be that sharp. At first, I was panicked, thinking I'd get raided right there. In the original Tirnanog RPG, the Holy Kingdom was the gathering spot for those at the forefront of purging the abyss. The vanguard and final bastion of the great abyss war you'd face as the ultimate enemy if playing abyss forces.
I hadn't done anything like worshiping the abyss, but a personal audience with the Priest-King in the Holy Capital felt burdensome.
'Oh, and sir knight? You've got some abyss junk stuck to your head.' What if I heard something like that?
Following Morgina's plan, getting "physical therapy" from the saints' holy power had successfully built some trust—like, "Ah, this guy's no abyssal agent." But that only convinced those who'd seen it firsthand. Not everyone would buy the cumbersome excuse of "I was clean originally, but took a sword to the chest wrong."
Entry itself was an issue too. Flashing the cathedral gate every time I passed would be a hassle. It was fine with the Champion's insignia, but I'd planned to return it right after the job anyway.
"Hey, horse-face! Convince this wallflower!"
[Me? How? I'm a sword, so I have to go wherever the sword-wielder wants.]
Morgina started bickering with the ghostly horse head again at Orishin's half-hearted reply. It was a sight that made my head shake on instinct. Their pointless squabbles felt like daily routine now.
'Hard to believe they only met a few days ago.'
Orishin and Morgina weren't seriously glaring at each other in hatred, so they could pass as prickly friends.
I waited for their spat to die down and asked, "Can't you just take the Champion's insignia and handle the return procedure for me? I remember you tossed it to me without any fuss."
"That was the cathedral headquarters. We finished the rites beforehand and just handed it over, but proper procedure was followed."
Morgina clung to me stubbornly as I tried to hand over the Champion's insignia and part ways right there. Giving it was casual, but returning required special steps, apparently. A proper rite to relinquish it, led by high priests at a grand cathedral like the one in the Holy Capital or equivalent.
I couldn't help thinking retirement rites were usually less picky than appointments. But Eve Kaha's headquarters was near my planned route anyway. I'd taken indefinite leave from the army, so delaying a day or two wasn't an issue.
"But why the Empire? That's the total opposite direction from the Western Alliance Kingdoms."
"Magic's most advanced there. My excuse for leaving the unit was purifying this horse-head guy anyway."
"…Hard to fix an abyss that holy power couldn't purify with magic."
"I know. Still, gotta stock up on 'tried this and that' for the report when I return."
[Huh? You know someone at the Empire's magic towers? Or can you just barge in like the Holy Capital visit?]
"I know someone, but…."
I trailed off. I remembered them, but whether they remembered me was questionable.
"Just a passing acquaintance from mercenary days. Even if we meet, they might not recognize me. If fate connects and they introduce another mage, great; otherwise, back to throwing my body at it."
"Now that you mention it, you said you merc'd around before joining the Western Army?"
"Wandered plenty. Got roped into elf-dwarf mining disputes in the Great Mountains. In the Empire, jumped into territory skirmishes playing knight a few times."
[Playing knight? You rode horses?]
"Ouch, hitting a sore spot. No horse to carry me, so not a proper knight."
[True. Can't ride, can't be a knight!]
We bantered lightly as we quickened our pace. In my head, an outline for the face-saving report upon unit return was forming.
'Confirmed Orishin's purification potential with holy power experts. Next, magic experts. If chance arises, shamans or spiritists too.'
I steeled my resolve. The moment the report "Tried my best to purify but struck out, resorting to temporary measures" was ready, I'd go sightseeing everywhere.
After the Martial Monk received the Corpse-Eating Sword Gratuon from Morgina, the saints split into two main groups.
The first were like Morgina and Kriel—urgent business back home, so they'd skip the Holy Capital and part ways here. That was about two-thirds. Only three headed to the Holy Capital.
"Who cares about welcoming ceremonies. They're all so ridiculously upright. What'd Morgina say to you, old timer?"
"What else. Since we caught it, tell the Priest-King to pump more funding into Eve Kaha. Then she chased after him."
"Seeing that wild girl smitten with someone… feels like the end times. Heh."
It looked like a peaceful chat on the surface. But the saints stayed alert. What they carried now was one of the Seven Great Demonic Weapons.
Gratuon no longer resembled chains. Not just Morgina—other saints had poured their sealing arts into it with full force before departing. Even those not going to the Holy Capital had reinforced the seals.
As a result, Gratuon was bound in multilayered seals from over ten different holy powers. Visually, it now resembled a pure white coffin. Shaped by holy power into something saintly, like a holy figure lay within—but really, it embodied the saints' will to "bury this monstrosity forever."
A blockade no demonkin could escape without outside help, one even a demon would struggle against. Carry it to the Holy Capital, bury it in some corner, and this horrific weapon would vanish from history for a while.
The saints hurried to the Holy Capital. Naturally, no one thought to unseal and peek inside.