Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Lawless City Purification Project
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Just when I thought things had been quiet lately, this damn message pops up the moment I see it and tries to take me out.
No one would believe me, so there was nowhere to turn for help. I just forced down the pain and slowly pushed myself to my feet.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?"
Linian tilted her head, asking about my condition.
"It's nothing. Just a chronic condition acting up."
"A chronic condition, huh."
"Hoo... Yeah. Anyway, a Libertà purification project? I've changed my mind. Not interested, but I should at least check out what's going on. Ravi, Elfin. Let's go."
"Pardon? Oh, sure."
"Hey, you said it was a chronic thing. If it's real, shouldn't you be resting?"
Ravi and Elfin fretted over my state as they followed me out of Linian's fortune-telling parlor.
......
Left alone, Linian watched Alvis, Ravi, and Elfin depart while chuckling to herself.
"A chronic condition? As if. Anyone bearing the goddess's power receives divine punishment for actions that defy her will. It's just a matter of degree. I heard the holy sword didn't shine during the holy warrior ceremony the other day—was that why, Goddess Runia? Because you ended up like that, our kind hasn't been able to reclaim our true forms. If you're resorting to this, why not sooner?"
After venting her grumbles, Linian snapped her fingers.
The lavish purple velvet, curtains, rugs, and other decorations that had adorned the space all vanished. The table and chair she sat at, the crystal orbs around her—everything dissolved into smoke, restoring the room to its true state: a filthy, abandoned wreck of a building.
"If even you, the Creator, are forced to roll the dice between ignorance and action, it must mean the Underground Vermin were on the verge of success. What happens to you honestly isn't my concern, but to restore our kind's original form, I have no choice but to help. First, I should pay a visit to the 'Sun' and the 'Moon' after all this time. The more allies, the better."
Linian stepped out of the derelict room and snapped her fingers again. The basement collapsed in an instant, sealing off all access.
"Fortune-telling playtime's over for today."
Lawless City Purification Project.
It was an event that cropped up pretty frequently in Holy Warrior Brayden NX. The group behind it varied by scenario branch, but the process was always the same.
The Pratea Kingdom drawing its sword to cleanse Libertà, infamous for its hellish lawlessness.
From Pratea's perspective, Libertà was a thorn buried deep in its flesh—one too massive to extract without dire consequences, so they'd long since washed their hands of it.
The problem was that, depending on the scenario, the kingdom would sometimes step up to normalize it. That was the Lawless City Purification Project.
And like most such self-inflicted administrative wounds, the results were always a total disaster.
This "purification" was originally meant to straighten out the chaos and restore order to a proper city. But Libertà's fierce backlash twisted its meaning.
Sometimes it escalated beyond cleanup into outright human extermination. Other times, endless clashes devolved into a hellish stalemate. Occasionally, Libertà gained the upper hand militarily, reducing the kingdom to ashes.
No matter who led the project or how it unfolded, the outcome was never good for the kingdom—or the continent.
The reason? One mercenary group entrenched in Libertà.
The Ebony Shadow Mercenaries.
A faction that every Holy Warrior Brayden NX player cursed. They'd do any dirty job for the right price.
In most scenarios, they schemed from the shadows to sabotage things or flexed overwhelming force as deadly foes, clashing with players constantly.
There were branches where you could recruit them as allies, but those only happened when the whole world was barreling toward doom. Effectively, they were harbingers of apocalypse.
They were also my first target right after graduating the academy.
Just keeping their nonsense in check would prevent over 70% of the continent's incidents.
Seizing control required serious power, so I figured it wouldn't happen anytime soon. But some idiot in the kingdom kicked off the Libertà project way ahead of schedule, stirring the Ebony Shadow Mercenaries into a hornet's nest.
Ignoring what was about to go down in Libertà would already give me a stomachache, but if the Ebony Shadow Mercenaries sparked riots on top of it...
Damn it...! Why are these things I never cared about suddenly flipping the trash bin now of all times!
What happens if you flip a trash bin 180 degrees? Especially if the trash has a mind of its own?
It won't just obediently hit the floor like the higher-ups think.
The kingdom had let it fester because it was too much hassle, and now they wanted to "purify" it? As if the thousands of outlaws would just step aside with a polite "Oh, please come cleanse us~."
Without thinking how the trash would scatter everywhere once the bin was gone.
As shouts grew louder, I headed that way. Nearly a thousand Libertà outlaws were already screaming curses at the kingdom forces approaching from outside the city.
"What the hell's a noble bitch like you slithering in here for—got scraps to scavenge?!"
"Don't touch us—get lost!"
"You think that piss-poor title of yours will save your neck here?!"
The Pratea noblewoman stood tall before the furious swarm and bellowed at the outlaws with a magically amplified, shrill voice.
"You're all filthy criminals who slunk in after committing crimes everywhere, aren't you? The kingdom says it'll hold off the pursuit squads if you just quietly leave. What's got you rebelling like this? You uncultured thugs!"
We—me, Ravi, and Elfin—had come to see which moron was stupid enough to provoke Libertà's outlaws with purification talk. Upon hearing that voice, we all exchanged glances.
"Huh? That voice..."
"No way it's who I think it is, right?"
"Let's get closer."
The noble's taunting words only enraged the outlaws further, pushing them toward full riot.
"That damn bitch and her loose mouth!"
"Thinks she's safe with a few soldiers behind her? Doesn't know we've got real muscle here?!"
"No trace of elegance whatsoever! Can't even appreciate the kingdom's mercy with that attitude! Whatever you say, this Libertà Purification Project will proceed! Quietly evacuate when given the chance, or get dragged out and rot in the kingdom's dungeons—those are your only options! You've been hiding here, dodging justice for your crimes and living wild, haven't you? The Purification Project is the kingdom's long-cherished goal! And..."
"The brilliant idea from elite me, Lenis of the Valentin Count family! Failure is not an option! Now then, you uncouth, graceless outlaws wallowing in this filth-pit of a city—kindly get the hell out!"
The idiot who'd brought troops to Libertà and provoked the outlaws was none other than Lenis, the third defeated heroine from the webnovel Loveholic.
"Le-Lenis?!"
"What the hell is she doing there?!"
Ravi and Elfin's brief joy at spotting a friend turned to shock upon seeing Lenis at the city entrance, taunting the outlaws.
Coming from Pratea, Lenis knew Libertà's infamy better than most—yet here she was, out of her mind, leading soldiers in a standoff at the gates.
Amid the riot-ready Libertà crowds, I spotted a few familiar faces.
Ebony Shadow Mercenaries executives.
The moment they attacked as a warning to the kingdom, Lenis was 100% dead.
Fate nonsense had dragged me into this, but regardless, I absolutely did not want Lenis to die.
If the Ebony Shadow Mercenaries were already mobilizing, I had to get her out first.
But she wouldn't obediently follow my word, and judging by Ravi and Elfin, she was someone I needed by my side—so sending her back with her troops wasn't viable either.
That left one option...
"Ravi, Elfin. We need to pull Lenis out of here first."
"How?"
"Close your eyes tight when I signal. It'll be blindingly bright. And..."
I explained the plan and moved before they could respond. No time to waste.
I pulled on the mask I'd prepped for sneaking into Libertà. Ravi and Elfin yanked their hoods low and we charged forward.
"Eyes shut!"
The instant we plunged between the Libertà crowds and Lenis's forces, I shouted. Ravi and Elfin immediately covered their eyes.
Light Saber
Blinding flash erupts from the blade of light, illuminating the Libertà entrance.
Ziiing-!
Pouring all my power into activating Light Saber, a radiant glow burst from the blade, flooding the Libertà entrance with light.
It was broad daylight, but the sun-like flash blinded everyone—Lenis and her troops, the Libertà crowds—all rendered helpless in an instant.
"Kyaaah!? What is this light..."
"Guh... My, my eyes...!"
"Now! Seal the entrance!"
At Elfin's gesture, vines and roots erupted from the ground, blocking the Libertà north gate entrance completely.
"Over there!"
Pointing toward Lenis, Ravi sprinted full-tilt, hoisted her up, and threw her over her shoulder.
"Got her—let's bounce!"
"Wha—?! Who the hell are you guys! Mmph!"
Elfin and I followed close behind Ravi as we rapidly evacuated the scene.
Moments later, as the flash faded and vision returned, Lenis's troops blinked repeatedly, checking everyone's safety.
"Ugh... What was that light just now..."
"Th-the Libertà north gate entrance is completely sealed! Mysterious plants sprouted up and..."
"Damn it, what the hell's going on. Tch, next orders... Huh?"
The soldiers scanned for Lenis, but she was nowhere in sight.
Then, one soldier stammered in terror.
"I-I saw it! Three assailants grabbed the lady while we were all blinded and dragged her off somewhere!"
"What?!"
Lenis's troops realized the catastrophe and bellowed.
"K-K-Kidnapping!!!"