Chapter 67
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Holy Kingdom (11)
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Lua, who had dropped the lantern on the floor, hurried over to him.
Whoosh—
“?”
“Thank goodness, truly thank goodness, Righteous One…!”
She threw her arms around Yujin in a tight embrace. He flinched at the sudden contact and the soft swell of her ample chest pressing against him.
I get that you’re happy I’m back safe, but… this much?
“Your Holiness…?”
“It’s truly a relief that you’ve returned, Righteous One…”
She looked up at him while hugging him close.
“Is your body alright? Did you perhaps lose any senses like I did…?!”
“Nothing was taken from me.”
“……!!”
Her face brightened completely at his words.
“It seems the trial was a success…! Then the Knight of Domination…!”
“I absorbed the Knight of Domination.”
“?”
Absorbed?
What?
Anyway…
“…How much time has passed since I entered the trial?”
“A week, Righteous One.”
…A week?
It felt like no time at all…
But a whole week?
“I thought something had gone wrong because you hadn’t returned after a week. But… just moments ago, I felt the seal of the Knight of Domination that had been devouring me disappear.”
“So that’s when your sight returned?”
“Yes. My sight has returned thanks to you, Righteous One…”
At some point, her body had felt lighter, and her vision had cleared. She had hurriedly examined herself and realized…
The seal…!
The seal binding her was gone. Right after, she had come down here to where Yujin would be, having completed the trial and returned to reality.
She spoke in a voice laced with emotion.
“Thank you, Righteous One.”
“…No need.”
“No, truly… thank you, Righteous One. Thanks to you, I can see the world again with my own two eyes.”
Thanks to him, she could behold bright light once more.
She could see the fresh forest grass and the bustling streets again.
And… she could see people’s faces again.
The Righteous One’s face is so handsome…
It felt like the first time she’d seen such a handsome man. And since the first face she’d seen in 200 years was Yujin’s, her heart pounded foolishly.
She realized that these feelings she thought had vanished 200 years ago were still there, and belatedly flushed.
Of course, that didn’t mean she let go of the embrace.
It was warm and reassuring, with an indescribable ticklish sensation spreading through her.
I hope the Righteous One doesn’t think I’m strange…?
She simply hoped he wouldn’t think oddly of her.
Just as she was about to thank him once more—
Boom—!
A sudden impact hit. It started as a small vibration, but it grew stronger, and faint screams could be heard, as if countless people were entangled in battle.
“…Your Holiness. What’s happening in the Holy Kingdom right now?”
“…It’s nothing. Nothing happened. Though tension has risen between Cardinal Rozan and Cardinal Hainkel.”
“…Then it seems the feared event has come to pass.”
The fight between the pure holy priests centered on Hainkel and the corrupt cardinals aligned with Rozan had begun.
She didn’t know who struck first… but now, it didn’t matter.
Yuseol.
Yeah, Master.
Just in case, can you stay with Her Holiness?
Her Holiness? Who’s that?
The white-haired woman right next to me. Her name is Lua.
Lua… Got it. I’ll guard her from nearby!
Soon, Yuseol appeared outside.
“Righteous One, that child is…?”
Yuseol gazed at them with bright, sparkling eyes. Yujin gently stroked her head and ears.
“…She’s family. She’ll stay with Your Holiness, so if anything happens, tell Yuseol.”
At the word “family,” Yuseol’s ears perked up.
But Lua shook her head.
“No, I’ll go with you.”
She was the Pope of the Holy Kingdom. Until now, she’d been forced to cower and stay out of the front lines, but not anymore.
Thanks to the lovable Righteous One beside her, she felt like she was back in her prime.
In truth, Lua’s condition was at its peak. Even Yujin before absorbing the Knight of Domination would have seen a slight chance of defeat against her.
“Understood.”
As they ascended to the surface, the Papal Palace was in the midst of full-scale combat.
Forces wearing red armbands on their arms—Rozan’s side—were clashing chaotically with the existing Holy Kingdom defenders.
“…Your Holiness. We should clean up here first.”
“Agreed.”
Extending his senses, he detected battles raging at least around the Papal Palace vicinity. The numbers were over 10,000 at minimum.
Quite a lot.
They must have seen his week-long absence for the trial as an opportunity and moved quickly.
The fact that it had reached inside the Papal Palace suggested they were well-prepared.
Lua leaped in first. There was no need to worry about her.
Back at her prime, she was undoubtedly the strongest within the Holy Kingdom.
A halo shone behind Lua as holy power transformed into flames that swept the ground.
One of her divine abilities, I suppose.
“Gaaahhh!”
“Wh-what is this?”
“It’s the Pope…!”
“What? Why is the Pope suddenly—?!”
“Th-this wasn’t the deal!”
“I shall judge you, filthy heretics.”
Her halo intensified. At the same time, the flames burning across the ground like divine judgment blazed even fiercer.
The heretics in the heat of battle were incinerated in an instant. They vanished completely, not even leaving ashes behind.
Yet she inflicted no harm on the non-heretics. Instead…
“M-my body is healing.”
“Ahh…! It’s Her Holiness’s power we’ve only heard of…!”
“Her Holiness the Pope is here!!”
“Waaaaah!!!!!”
The wounded were healed, and their holy power strengthened.
As expected, she’s strong.
Beyond imagination.
I can’t lose.
Yujin smirked and leaped into the midst of the heretics.
Slash—
Splatter——!!!!
“Guhk—!”
“Kuhh…”
“Grrr…”
Only targeting the heretics precisely, the Mind Sword swung. In moments, heads separated from bodies.
.
.
.
The situation inside the Papal Palace was quickly resolved.
And then.
“Th-the Saintess is missing! Our holy knights went to protect her immediately, but she had already vanished somewhere.”
“……”
Sena was gone.
“Any idea where she might be?”
“N-no, none.”
“Tch.”
This seemed like Rozan’s cardinals or Pandemonium’s doing…
“…Understood. What’s the rest of the situation?”
“According to the last report, the First Holy Knight Commander is engaging two Seats of the Seven Deadly Sins alone!”
…Two of them?
“A-and some holy knight commanders from Cardinal Rozan’s side are fighting the other holy knight commanders—”
“Understood.”
The situation was a mess beyond expectations.
“What will you do, Righteous One?”
“I’ll go rescue the Marilsian Lady… the Saintess. Your Holiness, head to the knight commanders. Then quickly to the First Holy Knight Commander.”
“Understood.”
“Also, please protect our imperial delegation if possible—”
“N-no need to worry, Your Excellency the Duke! The delegation is under strict protection!”
Good, then.
Yujin extended his senses and searched for Sena. Along the way, he encountered ongoing battles between the two forces and trapped demon worshippers in between.
Clicking his tongue, he mercilessly severed their heads from bodies as he advanced.
“Wh-what was that just now?”
“A black-haired…”
“Ah, it’s the Empire’s Duke.”
“Phew…”
“This isn’t the time to stand around. We need to hurry and eliminate the heretics.”
“Everyone, move!”
They’re handling themselves well.
He increased his speed, searching for Sena. In the process, he killed at least over a hundred heretics and demon worshippers.
“Cockroaches.”
Demon worshippers seemed to spawn no matter how many he killed.
As he sharpened his senses further—
Master! Over there!
I felt it too.
He located Sena’s energy. It was in an alley in the slums where the underground lab had been.
Closer now, he saw Sena bound in ropes oozing demonic energy, writhing in pain, surrounded by demon worshippers grinning maliciously.
…Hah.
Something felt off.
He couldn’t pinpoint why, but it was like someone touching his possession—an unpleasant sensation.
In that moment, something snapped inside him.
[The power of domination resonates]
He uttered one command toward them.
“Kill yourselves.”
In that instant, the dozens of demon worshippers who had kidnapped and surrounded Sena clutched their throats simultaneously. Their faces turned red, foam bubbled from their mouths, and they snapped their own necks before collapsing to the ground.
“Guhk…!”
“Kuhk!”
“Kruhhh…”
Thud—
Thud—
He stepped over the obstructing demon worshipper corpses and stood before Sena.
“Yujin…?”
She looked up at him with dazed eyes. But he said nothing and drew his sword.
Shing—
Her eyes trembled at his sudden action. She squeezed them shut briefly,
…
Nothing happened.
“What are you doing? Get up.”
He had merely cut the ropes.
Sena absentmindedly grabbed Yujin’s extended hand. As he pulled, she fell into his arms.