Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Niceta (1)
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She definitely said it was a treasure. A treasure. I heard her loud and clear. What kind of treasure did she bring?
The more I see of her, the more questions I have. The moment we passed through the Holy Kingdom's outer walls, she started grinning and laughing like a madwoman.
“Heads~ Let’s smash some heads~ Let’s smash the heads of all the bad guys~”
She hums a strange song while meticulously polishing the blade of a greatsword that doesn't fit her slender frame.
I bet that thing would drag on the ground if she just wore it on her back. Can she even swing it?
“Kratos. Are you sure she’ll be okay?”
“Hmm… probably? She’ll be fine. I’ll talk to her.”
Although I told Seamus she’d be fine, I really hope she will be. Probably. For real.
“Priestess Niceta. What did you mean by ‘treasure’?”
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about it. I just brought a sword that was collecting dust in a storeroom. The one they gave me for the mission just wasn’t my style. A weapon ought to be massive like this. How am I supposed to smash bad guys’ heads with some piddly little thing that barely tickles?”
I suspect it was a vault, not a storeroom, and it was being carefully preserved, not collecting dust, but I didn’t bother correcting her. It’s not like we could go back to the Holy Kingdom to return the sword now.
If it was so precious, they should have guarded it better. I have a feeling someone from the Holy Kingdom might come looking for it later.
“Ahem. To be precise, our mission is to find evidence that the Raelian Church is colluding with demonic forces or with the Empire.”
It would be a disaster if she misunderstood our objective. We didn't take this mission just to smash the heads of wicked people, as she keeps muttering.
Besides, we’re heading to Rzhev using minimal teleportation and trains to avoid being discovered.
Of course, once we get to Rzhev, we might have to do that until we’re sick of it—cracking the skulls of bad guys.
“Oh, I’m well aware of that. We’re going to find out whether those Raelian bastards are the kind of people who deserve to have their heads smashed, right? And I’m sure we’ll run into some other head-smash-worthy bad guys along the way!”
“What exactly is your standard for a ‘bad guy’? I don’t think someone who commits a simple robbery deserves to have their head smashed.”
If she’s uncontrollable, I need to know beforehand. I’ll have to keep her on a leash to some extent, but I also need to account for variables.
“Those tainted by demonic energy. Those who intentionally commune with it. Those who worship it. All of them deserve to have their heads smashed.”
As she spoke of the demonic, her voice was laced with deep resentment and fury.
“…”
So, basically, she loses her mind when it comes to anything related to demonic energy.
I had a very strong feeling this was going to be an exhausting journey from the start.
***
Late at night, during my watch, I took the stone out from my coat. I had received a reply from Hattie Shaw saying she would contact me at dawn.
[Setup complete. Request necessary information.]
Text appeared on the device.
[War preparations. The Empire and the Holy Kingdom. Monitor movements of Imperial nobility and higher.]
It was a system that used mana to exchange short messages with a device over long distances, but its security and effectiveness were guaranteed.
The message was only sent to the paired device, and if one side destroyed their device, the other would turn into an ordinary stone.
What a convenient device. All hail Da Vinci!
Anyway, Hattie Shaw is truly one of a kind. It hasn't been long, yet she's already established an information network and is ready to fetch whatever I need.
[Acknowledged.]
War is inevitable. The only question is when. If so, the capital must be sensing the changing tides. Strange phenomena are still occurring, after all.
Hattie Shaw already has some idea of how crazy things are in the Empire, so that short message should be enough.
Roughly four days until we reach Rzhev. We saved some time by changing trains a couple of times using the false identities the Holy Kingdom provided, considering the urgency of the matter.
The false identities were varied: wandering mercenaries, priests, and even adventurers.
The reason for such caution was to hide our true identities—specifically, Niceta's. She was the key to this mission.
“Hoo, it’s about time I started building my own power base. The information network is sufficient now.”
I’ve already established an intelligence network with Hattie Shaw. What’s left is my position in the White Mercenary Corps. I need to at least reach the rank of Captain.
It’s far better to move on my own and give orders than to be moved around like a pawn, unaware of the true intentions.
Some might say it’s absurd to become a Captain in such a short time, but mercenaries operate on a meritocracy, after all.
I’ve already accomplished a lot, and I’m confident in my skills. Now, I just need to build my own foundation and prepare for the future.
And this is the first step in that preparation. The cylindrical handle I found in the laboratory. It was a kill switch.
A kill switch for what? It was a kill switch and a master key for the things I created. I made it just in case. In preparation for a situation like this.
I’ve already seen my creations being used for the wrong purposes with my own eyes and witnessed the damage they caused. If I have to use it, I will.
If they simply copied my original designs, it would almost certainly work on most of their products.
I wonder if they even know. That a master key and a kill switch exist for those products. That this one cylinder can shut down all of those devices.
And then there was the flimsy thing packed in the box with it. A creation I’d made but never used. Because I had no mana back then.
When I infused it with mana, a film spread over my armor, and its color changed.
“Not bad. Seems to work well.”
I called it the Autonomous Defense System. My naming sense sucks, but what can you do? That was its purpose, after all.
It was an object that literally served to provide a primary defense against attacks from behind. It was only after making it that I realized it was difficult to use without mana, which is why I stored it in the box.
Of course, it wasn't because it was important, but because I made it around the same time as the kill switch, so I kept them together. With the intention of improving it later.
*Thwack—*
Yes, just like now.
A crude arrow flying at my back was blocked by the defense system and fell harmlessly to the ground.
“Prepare for battle!”
I didn't even need a weapon for these small fry, so I raised my fists. It's been a while since I've had a good brawl.
.
.
.
.
.
“To think monsters are appearing this close to a city. We need to hurry.”
“Hmph. Damn Empire.”
Dealing with the attacking orcs and goblins was over quickly, but the fact that monsters were this close to a populated area was not a good sign.
It meant that monster extermination near the city wasn't being handled properly, and that the people were suffering.
Not all citizens live within the city walls. Things like farming, trade, and hunting, which must be done outside, would inevitably be affected.
“Everyone, get ready. Since we’re up, let’s head to a town today and get cleaned up. We need to resupply, and we’ll need food for the rest of the journey to Rzhev.”
I watched Niceta silently wipe the blood from her blade. For starters, her fighting skills were outstanding.
I had wondered how she would handle that massive greatsword, but seeing her wield it so skillfully, I guess the Pope didn't send her for nothing.
Her attack style, which completely disregarded defense, seemed reckless, but that could be somewhat compensated for with proper armor.
Moreover, the issue of her getting overly excited didn't seem to be a problem either. Those monsters were surely influenced by demonic energy, yet she dealt with them without getting too worked up.
“The nearest town is… Libria, right?”
On the way to Rzhev, the closest city was Libria. The place where I found Lupin’s mask, and where I built a tomb out of a grand mansion.
And where the Northern Inspector, Sejanus, resided. A man who not only worshipped the demonic but actively practiced it.
“She should be fine. She seems to have pretty good control.”
Besides, we aren’t staying the night, just restocking supplies and leaving.
***
“Are you… priests from the Holy Kingdom?”
“Yes. In such chaotic times, priests must take action.”
“How long do you plan on staying?”
“About half a day. We plan to leave after purchasing some goods.”
“Uh, um. Yes. You may pass!”
At the entrance to Libria, the guard looked at our identification plaques with a somewhat puzzled expression before shouting for us to pass.
Returning to Libria after nearly a year, the atmosphere was markedly different from before. It had grown darker, and the life had vanished from people’s faces.
“Incredible. Truly incredible.”
“Sejanus…”
On the site of the great stone tomb I had built for the sacrificed townspeople, a new mansion had been erected, twice as extravagant as the one I had destroyed.
I wondered who was suffering and being killed in its basement now. How many hundreds had been sacrificed?
*Grrr—*
The memory of that atrocity made my teeth grind. I clenched my fists so tightly the blood drained from them.
But not now. I had a more important, a bigger mission to attend to.
That mission comes first. Of course, I will deal with this place. It’s not that small matters aren’t important, but going to Rzhev is the priority right now.
Causing a commotion here and jeopardizing the mission in Rzhev would be foolish.
This place can wait. After the Rzhev business is done. Without fail.
“Let’s just get what we need and move out quickly. I don’t think anything good will come from staying here.”
We planned to restock various supplies we had used on the way here. The biggest one was food. It had all run out, and we still had several days of travel ahead.
Not only that, but traveling and camping requires quite a few other consumables.
“By the way, where is Priestess Niceta?”
“Huh? Wasn’t she following right behind us?”
As we were buying supplies in the Libria market, I realized Niceta, who had been following us, was nowhere to be seen.
“Goddammit!”
***
“You bastards…”
“Well, well. Look what walked right into our trap.”
“Servants of the devil.”
While heading through the Libria market, she had sensed a demonic aura and quickly changed direction, arriving in this alley.
Dozens of men with weapons drawn greeted Niceta, as if they had been waiting. And from them, she felt a thick, cloying demonic aura.
“Capture her unharmed. We must present her to our master. A priestess from the Holy Kingdom. She’ll make a fine ingredient.”
“Yessir, understood!”
The knight at the front gave the order in a flat, practiced voice. This was how they had abducted countless people.
If so, it was obvious what fate had befallen the people they kidnapped. They wouldn’t have been able to close their eyes in peace.
Niceta did not suppress the deep rage welling up inside her. All demonic beings must be beaten to death. Especially ones like these.
“Just how many people have you done this to…!”
Niceta unleashed her divine power, her eyes rolling back as she roared in fury.