Chapter 224
Chapter 224
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 224
Chapter Title: The Blind Heavenly Demon
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The next day, I returned to the academy and exchanged brief farewells with Hector.
While I was at it, I asked about his destination.
“For now, I’m heading back home to focus on training for a while. If I’m lucky, I might get a bit of advice from Father.”
That was probably true enough.
Given the Iron-Blooded Duke’s personality, he wouldn’t ignore Hector after such major accomplishments—he’d surely hand over some spirit elixirs and offer a few pointers on swordsmanship.
Of course, the man was so busy that it wasn’t certain they’d even cross paths at the estate.
Honestly, it didn’t matter if they didn’t.
The Hector of now was likely stronger than the one I remembered from my past life.
I could tell just from his eyes.
The burning desire for strength, the hunger for training, the desperate yearning for the next realm—it all shone through clearly.
To be frank, in his current state, I worried that meeting the Iron-Blooded Duke might actually have a negative influence.
To Hector, the duke was still a godlike, invincible figure, and he’d undoubtedly accept any advice from him with excessive reverence.
‘Still, it’s fine for now.’
Right now, Hector wasn’t at the stage of pursuing his own unique martial path.
It was still okay to idolize and deify his master.
But someday, this guy would have to stand on his own.
And when that day came, the duke’s past advice and teachings could turn into poison.
For someone with Hector’s temperament, at least.
‘Shouldn’t I be worrying about myself?’
The thought suddenly struck me.
Wasn’t I the one deifying my master the most?
No, but Baek Rogwang really was the Martial God.
“Ruan?”
“…Yeah.”
I shook my head at Hector’s voice and snapped back to attention.
Come to think of it, there was something else I needed to tell him.
“You might be surprised if you find out suddenly when you get home, so I’ll tell you now.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve become the vice family head.”
“…Huh?”
Hector blinked at me with a blank expression.
* * *
After parting ways with the half-dazed Hector, the next people I sought out were Keian and Arjan, whom I hadn’t seen in quite a while.
“I’m going to Heros.”
I announced my next destination to my two subordinates.
For some reason, seeing them standing side by side made them look like father and daughter. They didn’t resemble each other in the slightest physically.
It must’ve been their similar auras.
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but outsiders aren’t allowed in this Heroes’ institution—only affiliates. There’s no companion system like the academy’s either. Which means our parting is inevitable…”
I paused, carefully choosing my words.
Truth be told, I wasn’t used to giving orders to subordinates.
I had no history of ever having underlings.
Keian, Arjan…
They were far better subordinates than someone like me deserved.
Part of me wanted to tell them to stop following a guy like me and just live their lives as they pleased.
But saying that to people who had already decided to serve me felt terribly rude.
“So, while I’m in Heros, I’d like to entrust you two with other tasks.”
“What kind?”
“First off, Keian, I’d like you to head back to the estate. Confirm the auction items were delivered properly, and check the backgrounds of the servants assigned to the Iron Annex. And…”
I got to the real point.
“Dig into the family’s Council of Elders.”
“The Council of Elders?”
I nodded, thinking to myself.
This order might just be the final test for Keian.
With my naturally suspicious nature, I still hadn’t fully trusted him or Arjan.
“Understood.”
But Keian accepted without question or hesitation.
His unexpected attitude caught me off guard, and I found myself asking,
“You understand what I’m saying, right?”
“Investigate the Bednicker Council of Elders without getting caught, yes?”
“Oh…?”
Now that I thought about it, this old man was once called the Perfect Collector. A veteran who had even coordinated seamlessly with the Iron-Blooded Duke.
He got it exactly.
“You’ve understood perfectly. Can you do it?”
“I’ll give it a shot.”
Coming from a man like Keian, that was as good as a guarantee.
No need for warnings like “be careful” or “don’t let your guard down”—those would be superfluous.
I nodded and turned my gaze.
“And Arjan.”
“Yes.”
“Your mission carries less outright risk than Keian’s, but it’s far more nebulous.”
“Please speak.”
“Find out everything about the black elf Kusset.”
“Kusset…”
Arjan mulled over the name.
“From common folktales to legends passed down among the people, biographies, scattered bits of info, oral stories—anything and everything. I want to know all there is about Kusset.”
That was my conclusion.
Of all things, Kusset and the Council of Elders had the deepest ties to the Bednicker family…
Learning about them might reveal a bit of the truth about this world.
“Understood.”
“I don’t know when we’ll meet again. I can see Keian when I return to the estate, but…”
“I’ll return to the estate once a month to pass on any information to Sir Keian.”
“Good. Let’s do that.”
I nodded once, then said to Keian,
“Could you give us the room for a bit?”
“Of course.”
Once Keian left, Arjan’s head tilted ever so slightly.
I met her exceptionally clear eyes and spoke.
“Keian has something he wants from me. He has a foster daughter, and he wants me to defeat her. She’s way beyond me right now.”
I paused and stared at her, and Arjan bowed her head slightly.
“I’m sorry. I’m not sure what you’re trying to say—”
“If you want something from me, tell me.”
Even if we were leader and subordinate now, loyalty without at least some reward was hard to sustain.
Whether material or emotional…
Now that I was in the superior position, I had to at least learn my subordinate’s wishes—and fulfill them if possible.
“There’s no such thing as loyalty without compensation. Even if there is, cracks always form eventually.”
It wasn’t exactly noble speech, but I couldn’t help it—I thought like a mercenary in these matters.
“For reference, I can pay a generous salary. I’m not short on money.”
“…Ah. In that case.”
After a brief hesitation, Arjan spoke up.
“Could you pay as much as possible?”
I was a little surprised.
I’d only half-jokingly brought up money.
She didn’t strike me as the greedy type at all.
“How much exactly?”
“Ab… about 10 gold per month…”
“Oh?”
I’d recently come into wealth, but 10 gold wasn’t pocket change.
Arjan was undoubtedly talented, but even accounting for that, it felt like a lot.
Even to me, with my poor sense of money.
More curious than annoyed, I asked,
“Why do you need that much?”
“…There’s an orphanage I’m connected to, but it’s struggling financially right now. I want to help.”
“Orphanage?”
“Yes. The place that took me in before the organization did.”
“Ah.”
I knew Arjan had a rough past, but I hadn’t realized she’d bounced around orphanages too.
I nodded and said,
“I’ll give you 20 gold. Plus, depending on the info you gather, I’ll suggest to the family head that the Bednickers take it under our wing.”
“……!”
Arjan’s eyes widened dramatically.
That was my position now.
I’d racked up major achievements and held the vice family head title.
The Iron-Blooded Duke of today would probably grant most requests, right? Not that I ever wanted to face him.
‘20 gold.’
Not insignificant, but hardly enough to run an orphanage single-handedly.
So Arjan would know too.
Incorporating it as a Bednicker affiliate and letting the family handle operations would be far more stable.
As a Bednicker servant, she’d understand what joining the family’s umbrella meant.
“…I’ll do my absolute best.”
Not just her best—her eyes burned with a willingness to lay down her life.
Seeing that resolve, which no mere raise could inspire, satisfied me.
* * *
The day to finally leave the capital dawned.
Acting Dean Molland, upon hearing the news, suggested throwing a send-off party, which left me exasperated.
I refused flat-out, of course.
“That’s a shame.”
Not really.
“Off to Heros, I hear? By the next time we meet, you won’t be a hero candidate anymore.”
“Probably not.”
“Haha. It was an honor to witness the footsteps of a great hero. Safe travels.”
After short chats with the other professors, I headed to the infirmary.
“You’re here.”
Helsta, looking like she’d pulled an all-nighter, handed me something.
It resembled potion vials.
“What’s this?”
“Grape wine purified by the grail.”
“I know that. Why so many?”
Counting them, there were seven vials total.
“Drinking it in divided doses is more effective than all at once. Exactly a week’s worth—one vial per day.”
“Why glass bottles? Just dump it in a canteen. Glass seems risky—might break.”
“It’s made of a special material that won’t break easily. Tougher than most stone.”
“Really? Isn’t this valuable? I doubt I’ll have time to return it.”
“It’s fine.”
I was impressed by Helsta’s generosity.
“Oh, and about the grail—it won’t exert its effects for at least a few years after one use.”
“There’s a penalty like that?”
“You didn’t know?”
Of course not.
Lise hadn’t mentioned it.
“How long exactly?”
“It varies wildly by grail. Shortest was about a year; longest, decades without effect.”
What?
So until then, it’s just an antique cup?
I eyed the grail dubiously, and Helsta, reading my mood, slyly revealed her true intent.
“If we placed it in one of our church’s temples, we could greatly shorten that period. What do you think—”
“…….”
“…Sorry.”
Seeing her avert her gaze instantly made me chuckle.
“I’ll think about it.”
“R-Really? Thank you…!”
It’s not like I could strengthen blessings with it endlessly anyway, so if I couldn’t find a use, donating to the church didn’t sound bad.
The 72 Churches were the empire’s largest religious organization, after all—owing them a favor couldn’t hurt.
“I heard you’re heading to Heros. The eastern regions nearby have gotten quite dangerous lately—do be careful.”
“Dangerous?”
“Word is, monster appearances are up, and religious groups claiming affiliation with Dark Cult offshoots are rampant.”
“Hmm…”
The east was supposed to be the safest land outside the capital, yet things were that bad?
In other words.
“Sounds good.”
“Pardon?”
In times like these, Heros would be busy, and opportunities for merit would be everywhere.
I might even hit B-rank within half a year.
“I’m off. I’ll enjoy this. See you later.”
“Ah, wait.”
As I turned to leave, Helsta grabbed me and traced a holy symbol in the air.
“May the gods’ blessings accompany your journey…”
“Whoa… that actually sounded priestly.”
“I am a bishop, you know.”
“Right. Anyway…”
I chuckled, then straightened my expression and gave a slight bow.
“…Take care, Bishop Helsta.”
Helsta blinked at my sudden formality before bursting into laughter.
Now, it was time to really link up with Mir and head straight to Heros.
There was actually one more person I could invite along.
Slim chance he’d accept, but worth proposing.
“By the way, before that…”
I pulled out a vial of holy water.
Thirsty anyway, I decided to down today’s dose now.
I uncapped it and gulped it down.
“…Hm?”
The sensation was odd the moment it hit.
Not just that it tasted like grape juice instead of wine…
Heat surged in my head.
Different from drunkenness, and then came a buzzing in my ears like a swarm of bees.
And then.
[Spirit Mountain’s Blessing is strengthened.]
[‘Communication’ and ‘Patronage’ functions are unlocked.]
The buzzing turned into that familiar voice I’d heard a few times before.
Communication? Patronage?
As I reeled in confusion, to make matters worse, a hazy window popped up right in front of me.
[‘Blind Heavenly Demon’ gazes upon you.]
‘…Heavenly Demon?’
The word I’d heard before, now paired with “blind,” naturally brought one figure to mind.
“Heavenly Demon Junior?”
[‘Blind Heavenly Demon’ smiles.]