Chapter 87
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Reflection (2)
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The cultists who had infiltrated the shadows with Yuseol exchanged words with each other before splitting off in different directions.
They soon entered a somewhat ornate building from somewhere. It was one of the structures in this ancient temple complex, just like the others.
'A research facility, perhaps.'
What appeared in the vision shared with Yujin was a kind of research facility. It was similar to what he had seen in the underground of the Holy Kingdom, but this one felt far more systematic and advanced.
It was clear they were scheming something here. He had no idea what their exact goal was... but securing one of the Four Knights was probably at the top of the list.
In the meantime, the cultist entered some kind of barrier erected inside the building.
-"How's the stability?"
-"From the observed wavelengths, it's still holding steady."
-"Hmm. And the dragon?"
-"The dragon... is still holding out."
.
.
.
-"Shouldn't the mental corruption be progressing by now?"
-"Well... the erosion is slower than expected."
-"Haa... Fine. Get out for now."
-"Yes."
Hmm.
A dragon and mental corruption?
Something felt off.
'Yuseol. Slip into the shadow of that man up ahead.'
'Okay.'
Swish.
He could feel Yuseol shifting through the shadows.
Now it was time to play ninja for real. Stealthy infiltration and sneaking around.
It wasn't as hard as he'd thought. Thanks to Lucia and Irene's magic, he'd gotten a good look this time.
He hadn't expected there to be magic that could conceal even their appearances.
'Magic for the win.'
It made sense why assassins learned at least basic magic. With stuff like that, things would definitely be easier. Though, at that point, why not just have mages handle everything...
…
Enough idle thoughts. He slipped quietly into that tent just now.
The cultist in question was staring down at a report, muttering to himself.
"Haa... Where on earth has Sloth gone?"
"I'd appreciate it if you could elaborate on that."
"…!? Who...!"
Yujin bound the fallen cultist.
There were no ropes handy, so he drew out his sword aura and used it as a substitute, blunt and reshaping the sharp edges into rounded bindings.
How was that possible? Well... because it was Yujin.
Irene and Lucia, who had witnessed it, had never even heard of such a thing being possible.
Even Lua, who had lived for 200 years and heard every kind of tale under the sun, had never come across a story like that.
It was the kind of scene that would make the continent's swordsmen cough up blood if they saw it.
Using sword aura—no, sword beam—like that.
Mages might even award him an honorary mage title.
Anyway.
"Lucia, Irene. Do you have any magic for extracting information? Like a confession spell or something that interferes with the mind?"
"Hmm... We do, but it might shatter their mind afterward. Is that okay?"
"Of course."
As long as it didn't harm Lucia or Irene, he didn't care what happened to the guy.
He was a filthy cultist anyway.
The two of them muttered something like, "Well, that makes sense," and stepped forward to cast the spell.
At that moment, Lua raised her hand.
"Righteous One. If you want to extract information from him, it would be most efficient for me to step in."
"Hm?"
"Demonic energy and holy power are polar opposites."
Lua conjured rippling holy power in one hand.
'Demonic energy and holy power...'
Come to think of it, she was right—the two forces were antithetical. Injecting one into the other caused excruciating agony, or so it was said...
Hm.
Was that the kind of thought a former pope should have? Well... she'd been head of state for 200 years, so she'd probably seen all sorts of dirty deeds.
In that light, this was probably tame by comparison.
"Then you handle it. Can you two cast a soundproofing spell?"
"Of course, my lord."
The cultist would surely groan in pain, drawing other cultists if they weren't careful.
Dealing with everyone here would be simple enough.
He could just deploy his domain and crush them all.
But then he wouldn't get the info he needed.
'I can farm cultists later.'
There would always be time for a cultist roundup event.
Once the women confirmed their spells were up, Yujin slapped the cheek of the downed cultist.
Slap—
"…"
No reaction.
Slap—
"…"
Hmm...
Slap—
"……?"
Only after four or five more slaps did the cultist's eyebrow twitch.
Tough bastard.
He hadn't expected him to stay out until both cheeks were swollen.
Anyway, as the cultist began to stir, Yujin nodded to Lua.
It was time for the natural enemy of cultists to take the stage.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Thud—
Injected with prickling holy power, the cultist writhed in agony as if his soul were burning away, spilling every piece of information he knew.
It was pitiful enough to make onlookers wince.
Midway through, he begged to be killed or tried to bite off his own tongue... but that only intensified the pain.
After all, Lua was a former saint and pope. Regenerating a severed tongue was child's play for her, even on a cultist with demonic energy.
Thus, the merciless cycle of torment and healing continued until he had confessed everything and breathed his last.
"So their goal was that one of the Four Knights after all—the Knight of Famine, right? Securing it."
This ancient temple housed one of the Four Knights: the Knight of Famine, sealed away.
And like Lua, who had inherited the seal of the Knight of Domination, there was a being connected to the Knight of Famine: a dragon.
More precisely, the Storm Dragon that had appeared 300 years ago.
No one knew how long this Storm Dragon had guarded the seal, but it had clearly endured far longer than Lua.
"...I wonder if the Storm Dragon is okay."
"The odds are in its favor, Righteous One."
"Hm?"
"My loss of sight and weakened body came from being a mortal with a finite lifespan. The Storm Dragon, however, is an immortal being. It should be fine maintaining the seal. But..."
The problem was this.
Pandemonium was interfering with the dragon bound to the seal.
They were using demonic energy to corrupt its mind, turning it into something they could control. On top of that, they were wearing down its power through constant battles.
And those battles... were obviously with the Seven Deadly Sins Seat of Wrath—Jane.
"...Yujin, are you okay?"
"...I'm fine."
"But your face..."
"Really, I'm fine."
"...Okay."
Irene couldn't hide her worry.
The man she loved wore an expression of deep pain.
"...What now, Righteous One?"
"...Haa... Ideally, wipe out all of Pandemonium here and stabilize the Storm Dragon."
"That's not what I mean."
Lua shook her head.
She peered into Yujin's eyes. His soul was in torment.
"I'm asking what you'll do about the Seven Deadly Sins Seat of Wrath—the one connected to you."
"…"
Silence hung in the air.
Lucia and Irene looked shocked that she would ask so directly. They knew Jane was a sore spot for Yujin.
At the end of the silence, Yujin spoke softly.
"...I want to save her."
Of course he did.
Even with her memories lost, she was still Jane.
If anything, she had ended up like this because he had abandoned her and retreated in the past.
This was his responsibility.
"Then save her."
"...But she's one of the Seven Deadly Sins Seats."
"What does that matter, Righteous One?"
...He hadn't expected such words from Lua, with her devout faith.
"I'm no longer the Holy Kingdom's pope or saint. I'm just a girl who wants to stay by your side. Saving a girl forcibly reborn as a cultist won't cause any issues."
Lua's words were an affirmation.
I'll support whatever path you choose.
It was also reassurance that he didn't need to push away those dear to him.
"Same for us, Yujin."
"I'll help you wholeheartedly, my lord."
"You girls..."
A warm emotion welled up in his chest.
Steeling himself, Yujin stepped out of the tent. No more intel gathering was needed.
Now, only destruction mattered.
The lives of cultists, their schemes, their threats.
Destroy it all.
"...? Who...?"
"What?"
"...An outsider?"
"Shit, what the hell."
"Wait, that's...!"
"The Empire's duke!"
"How's a master here...!!"
"Fuck, call the branch chief quic———"
Domain Expansion
Black Heaven
Krunch———!
All the energy erupted at once.