Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: The Shadow Cast Over the Holy Kingdom (2)
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First things first, my immediate goal was to sneak into the underground prison. Sure, with Archbishop Barthroi's influence, I could probably get in no problem, but that would make me way too conspicuous.
It'd look like I was entering on his direct orders. So I needed another way.
I carefully observed the guards stationed at the underground prison. Security was tight. This place was probably the most heavily fortified spot in the entire Holy Kingdom.
Breaking in silently with my own skills seemed impossible.
"What to do?"
I'd boasted that I'd find a way in on my own. But right from the start, I hit a wall. After racking my brain for a while, one face popped into my head, and I turned on my heel toward a different location.
A good while later, I arrived at the barracks of a knight order. I knocked on the door, and amid the sound of frantic footsteps from inside, it flew open.
"Who is—... Huh? Is that who I think it is? Player Shin Juha!"
"Yeah. Is your leader around?"
"Our leader...? Oh! You mean Sir Barkley. He'll be here soon. Lunch training's just about to wrap up. Come on in and wait inside."
I stepped into the knights' quarters. A spacious area came into view, dotted with fragments of the god they served.
"Have some tea while you wait."
I casually accepted the cup from the youngest knight, who was grinning cheerfully, and took a sip.
My eyes widened as I turned to stare at the youngest knight, still beaming like nothing was wrong.
What the hell? Did I just drink poisoned tea? When did he slip it in?
I set the cup back down on the table untouched. My stomach burned hot. But I wasn't worried.
Whoosh!
Flames erupted from my body, incinerating that cheap poison without a trace.
Solar Divine Art
Solar Heart Method
Solar Sanctuary
"Oops! You're still alive. Not your average guy, huh."
"You... what the hell?"
The youngest knight kept grinning even as I spoke. For a moment, the creepy smile sent chills down my spine, but I drew my sword.
The gleaming blade of the Demon Sword of Utter Ruin pointed straight at him. Yet the guy just sat there casually, smiling the same way.
"You wrecked the pawn I so carefully set up. I was gonna use it for chaos once the festival kicked off. You even killed one of my Ten Thousand Demons Hall members. And that idiot demon of his? Poof, gone. Unbelievable. With our grand scheme right on the horizon, and this annoying crap happens?"
He looked like the youngest knight. But he wasn't. Yeah, just like a puppet, parroting someone else's words.
I thought it over, then chuckled and spat it out.
"Where are you right now, Archbishop?"
For the first time, the unnatural, overly friendly smile vanished from the youngest knight's face. Like it had never been there to begin with.
In its place came rage and irritation.
"You know too damn much."
"What was that? A puppet? What the hell are you plotting here?"
"None of your business. Just die. And get branded a criminal for murdering a knight while you're at it."
Swell! Bulge! Boom!
Like it had been waiting, the youngest knight's body inflated, and right then—as training ended and the knights opened the door—it exploded.
Boom!
Chunks of flesh and blood sprayed everywhere. The incoming knights saw it head-on, and even I was shocked.
"Crazy bastard."
I grimaced at my blood-splattered body. Things had gone sideways.
"What the hell! What did you do?!"
"Don't move! Hands up and stay put!"
"One step, and we'll deem you a heretic and execute you on the spot!"
"Junior! Junior! What did you do to him?!"
They rushed me, slamming me down, stomping my head, trying to bind me—then froze when they saw my face.
"Player Shin Juha? How the hell are you here? And what's this?"
I let out an exasperated sigh and nodded toward the cup on the table.
"Poison. He tried to kill me. Then self-detonated. Demonkin blood explosion technique."
The knights' eyes scanned the room, then locked on the cup.
"I'll check it. We've got antidote potions, so no issue. Worst case, we can ask the higher-ups."
He chugged the tea without hesitation... and nothing happened.
"Ha... I got played good."
I realized it then. This Holy Kingdom was that demonkin's front yard. And I was a rat trapped in his poison.
"What now? Arrest him... right?"
The knights glanced at their leader, who nodded gravely.
As they charged, I unleashed my power. I didn't have time to waste here.
"Sorry. Can't spare the time right now. Gotta sort out this mess."
In an instant, my Solar Sanctuary expanded, knocking out each knight one by one.
"This'll make it harder to claim innocence. We all saw the kid blow himself up. Something this grotesque screams demonkin handiwork. You might not get out before the festival, but after, with a proper defense, you'll be cleared."
"Sorry, Sir Barkley. The festival's legit. That demonkin's planning something big there. You heard it too—who the demonkin is."
"The archbishops? No way. Why would they?"
I didn't want to hear more. I moved to strike his neck but stopped.
"Wait. If I'm arrested now, do I go to the underground prison?"
Sir Barkley tilted his head, then nodded.
"For killing a knight in the Holy Kingdom? Yeah, the strictest cell down there."
This... might actually work. I held out my hands.
"Throw me in the underground prison. I need to see what that demonkin's up to down there. Sorry, but help me this once. Call it payback for saving your ass."
Barkley hesitated, glancing between the blood-soaked idol on the wall and the gore covering the first floor, then shut his eyes and nodded.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
Chains bound my wrists, ankles, even neck. Uncomfortable, but I nodded like it was fine. He roughly dragged me off.
To the underground prison. Soon, we reached the heavily guarded entrance. Two guards thrust spears at us and shouted.
"Halt! What is this?"
"State your identity!"
"Sir Barkley, knight order captain of the Hyknix Knights. Here's my pass."
Identity check cleared; they lowered their spears.
"Who's the guy next to you?"
Barkley glared at me like I was his mortal enemy, seething.
"This filthy heretic bastard stormed our barracks and brutally murdered our junior knight!! Tossing him in before trial. Let him rot regretting what he did!"
The two guards' eyes bulged in fury. Knightly outrage, it seemed.
"Got it. Hand him over; we'll lock him up."
"Yeah, you got cleanup and reports to handle, right?"
"No! Please. Let me do it. Just give me ten minutes. I gotta see this scum suffer! Our junior's smiling face is burned into my mind!"
They looked awkward at his plea, but that raw anger? Couldn't refuse. If it was fake, he shouldn't be a knight.
He'd quit and become an actor.
"Tch. Ten minutes. Here's the key. Put him in yourself. As you know, first floor only. No going below two. Even if you wanna dump him in hell. Got it?"
"Don't worry. Not borrowing anyone else's hands. Just let him await death in agony."
Pat pat. The guard clapped Barkley's shoulder, opened the prison gate, and we entered.
Creeak! Slam!
Door shut. I straightened up and snapped the fake chains.
"Thanks. I owe you."
"......That's all I can do. I still don't get it."
"If you need to blame someone, blame me and wait. I'll drag the real culprit here on his knees. That'll repay this debt."
Whoosh!
Holy flames blazed in my eyes as I turned and advanced.
'Not the first floor.'
As the guards said, first floor was just for serious criminals. No way they'd scheme with these small fries.
I pressed on. Toward the stairs to the second floor.
Meanwhile, at that very moment, at the Holy Kingdom's main gate. A splendid group of people made a flashy entrance.
"Halt. Who are you?"
"Greetings. We've brought the two final candidates selected from Earth for this grand saintess competition."
The guard snapped to attention and saluted. Eyes full of awe and respect, he glanced at the two carriages carrying the saintess candidates and opened the gate.
"Thank you. May divine blessings be with you."
"May divine blessings be with you."
After the two candidate carriages passed, one final carriage appeared. The guards didn't even try to stop it.
No wonder—the emblem on it was one only this competition's true saintess could bear.
The saintess inside passed them with a cold, icy expression, and the gate sealed shut once more.
As if no prey could escape this massive cage.
And unlike the candidates' carriages, hers headed straight for an archbishop's office.
"It's been a while, Archbishop Aoira."
"Indeed it has, Saintess Isabel."
The two greeted each other with beaming, genuine smiles, heralding the festival's start.