Chapter 326: translated
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.
Chapter 326
To the Holy Grail knights, Gloria looked no different from a devil worshipper.
She swung a hideous and ominous red greatsword around, with explosions red as blood erupting from the blade. Despite having seen numerous artifacts before, they had never seen a knight using an artifact with such unpleasant and unusual abilities as Gloria's.
"Bring the artifacts!"
"There should be binding artifacts!"
The White Tower boasted the highest security, so powerful artifacts were kept ready. The priests brought artifacts from the storage and hurled binding artifacts at Gloria.
Clack!
The priests, as they were trained, skillfully aimed and fired artifacts enchanted with Stun magic at Gloria. It was practically an instant-effect artifact, so the Stun magic hit Gloria's body.
Clang!
However, despite the Stun magic hitting Gloria, the spell didn't take effect.
"What? How is this...?"
Gloria's golden headband glinted in the sunlight. Gloria freely ran between the knights and priests, swinging Blood Moon.
At that moment, Gloria's body was thrown forward.
Thud!
A massive mace burrowed into the spot where Gloria had been standing. It was the mace of a Holy Grail knight who had been targeting her from behind.
"Thank you, Kos!"
With both arms broken, there was little Kos could do, but when she judged it dangerous, she moved to assist Gloria.
Raven concentrated on binding the Holy Grail knights' feet instead of using support magic on Gloria. She buried the Holy Grail knights in the ground or froze them with ice magic.
Sometimes magic flew toward Raven, but she dispelled it with ease.
All the artifacts they were equipped with were made by Gale Magic Tower. Since Raven had handled all the commercialized artifacts from Gale Magic Tower at least once, she knew all the weaknesses in the magic contained in the artifacts.
Of course, no matter how well the two fought, they were outnumbered. The Holy Grail knights and priests surrounded them and pushed in.
Gloria eventually took a sword hit to her back.
"Tch!"
Thanks to Kos, she wasn't injured, but as she fell forward, the encirclement tightened even more. The Holy Grail knights began throwing nets at Gloria. They were anti-wizard nets. Gloria rolled on the ground to avoid the nets.
Bang!
Blood Moon exploded and broke through the encirclement, but the situation was still not good. This was because combat priests who had been guarding the Royder Order, and even inquisitors, were rushing over after hearing that the White Tower had collapsed.
'How do I...'
However, it was the White Tower priests who were more flustered than Gloria.
"Only relevant personnel can come here!"
"What are you talking about?! We heard devil worshippers are causing chaos!"
"We can handle everything ourselves!"
As the most secretive place in the Royder Order, the White Tower was where all the ugliness of the Royder Order had accumulated and festered.
Not only were there all kinds of inhuman experiments conducted to artificially create holy water, but also various experimental papers on how to use Saints for as long as possible.
Particularly problematic were the test subjects who had been imprisoned in the White Tower and then released.
"P-please save me!"
"Those crazy people cut off my arm...!"
"My daughter! They killed my daughter! Aaaaargh!"
The Holy Grail knights and priests ruthlessly subdued the fleeing test subjects.
"These heretic bastards!"
"Kill them immediately!"
The combat priests and regular priests couldn't hide their shock when they saw the test subjects running toward them, crying tears and bleeding, begging to be saved.
"I was a believer of the Royder Order!"
"Suddenly I woke up in that strange building... Ahhuhuuk!"
"Please don't send me back to those crazy people! They'll cut off my arm again! Aaaaa!"
Seeing the test subjects kneeling before them, desperately pleading with their severed hands, a combat priest raised his sword toward the Holy Grail knights.
"Who are these people, brother?"
"They are heretics. Do not be deceived."
"Are they truly heretics?"
"Yes. Now step aside."
But the combat priests did not back down.
These were people who, despite being able to become knights by following the goddess Royder’s teachings of compassion, love, and devotion, had given up on becoming knights.
Among such combat priests, those who show unconditional loyalty to the Royder Order become inquisitors or Holy Grail knights.
However, only a minority of combat priests were willing to dirty their hands and souls for the Royder Order like the Holy Grail knights or inquisitors. In other words, the combat priests gathered here were not the kind to easily abandon the righteous justice their beliefs pointed to.
"Why are heretics in the place where the Saints stay? Isn't the White Tower the holiest of sanctuaries?"
"That's classified."
"Did you commit some kind of inhumane experiments as they claim?"
"I cannot tell you. Step aside."
"No. I cannot do that."
All the combat priests raised their shields.
"We will investigate these people separately."
"You don't have that authority! The right to interrogate belongs to us Holy Grail knights and inquisitors!"
"Don't raise your voice! We have eyes and ears too. How can these people be heretics!"
"Damn it! This is why we shouldn't discuss matters with those whose faith is lacking!"
"What?! Lack of faith? Have you said everything you want to say?"
At that moment, the cardinals rushed over.
"What are you doing right now!"
The Holy Grail knights and combat priests bowed their heads. The combat priests glared at the Holy Grail knights and said:
"We were protecting them because it seemed like these people were falsely accusing good Order members of being heretics."
All the Holy Grail knights were sending silent glances to the cardinals, asking them to properly explain the situation.
The cardinals looked at the combat priests, the Order members who had rushed to rescue people, and the priests. They needed to say something to them, but no clear answer came to mind.
The only option available to the cardinals was to buy time.
"Well, everyone. I will take responsibility to investigate and find out whether they are heretics or not. So fighting among Order members..."
Slash!
The head of the cardinal who was speaking in front was cut off by a sharp gust of wind. Not only the combat priests but also the Holy Grail knights were momentarily panicked by this incomprehensible sight.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of clashing blades shook heaven and earth. People naturally followed the source of the sound.
There, a man with red hair and red eyes and a familiar man were thrusting weapons at each other.
"L-Lord Roland!"
"Isn't that Caesar?"
"How did the two of them end up here...?"
A sharp gust of wind emanating from Caesar's axe aimed for Roland's ankle.
Roland calmly avoided the wind. Then that wind flew off in an unexpected direction and blew off another cardinal's neck.
"Oops, my mistake."
"You heretic bastard...!"
Caesar swung Thunder. Roland had no skill to withstand the lightning rising from Thunder. So Roland only parried with his sword when Caesar swung Lefty, and merely dodged Thunder.
"Lord Roland is under attack!"
"Protect the cardinal first!"
Caesar's body was exhausted. Using Storm’s Eve would cause aftereffects lasting until at least the next day. It felt like his muscles were begging him to stop tormenting them, and with every swing of his axe, it felt like his lifespan was being shaved away.
But Caesar knew when to stop and when to move desperately.
Now was precisely the time to move even if it meant death.
Roland was impressed by Caesar's prowess.
Roland's swordsmanship was as excellent as his loyalty to the Royder Order. He was good enough to defeat 20 Holy Grail knights at once, and having received sword training from the Springfield family, fervent supporters of the Royder Order, few could match Roland in wielding a swift sword.
But Caesar pressured Roland by dodging by a paper-thin margin, as if he already knew where and how Roland would thrust his sword. It was even artistic how he exploited Roland's critical weakness of having no means to defend against Thunder, breaking Roland's tempo.
'He must be exhausted by now...'
Roland could sense that Caesar had reached his limit by observing his rough breathing and slowed axe movements. But looking at those transparent red eyes, he didn't seem tired at all.
'Is it because he's a doppelganger?'
Nevertheless, Roland thought time was on his side. Roland had drunk holy water, which had completely eliminated his fatigue and restored his stamina, and this was the capital of Royder.
Once Caesar collapsed from physical exhaustion, he could immediately behead him.
Then, something strange caught Roland's eye.
Boom!
It was Gloria, fighting the Holy Grail knights through the red smoke. The Holy Grail knights were not holding back their swords to kill Gloria, and he could see blades grazing her hair. Roland's heart sank.
"Stop! Lower your swords!"
In the midst of the fierce battle with Gloria, Roland's voice had no chance of reaching them. Roland shouted louder.
"That woman is a saint! Lower your swords!"
The Holy Grail knights hesitated at Roland's shout.
"What...? What do you mean?"
Roland parried Caesar's Thunder.
Crackle!
Pain that felt like grinding teeth enveloped Roland's entire body. But thanks to that, Roland was able to kick Caesar in the stomach.
Whoosh!
Caesar and Roland both tumbled to the ground. Roland, covered in dust, barely managed to get up and said:
"I said that woman is a saint! We must subdue her."
"That witch is the saint, you say?"
Roland rummaged through his leather pouch while speaking.
"Yes. Here's the Holy Grail... Huh?"
There was a large hole in the bottom of Roland's leather pouch. Naturally, the Holy Grail was nowhere to be seen. Roland broke into a cold sweat. Where on earth did I drop it? Did I lose it when fighting Caesar in that waterway?
"Are you looking for this?"
Roland looked at Caesar. The Holy Grail was in Caesar's hand.
"W-when?!"
Caesar waved Lefty and said:
"I just snatched it."
Roland recalled how Lefty had brushed against his side when they fell earlier.
Caesar slowly walked toward Gloria and Raven while holding the Holy Grail. When the Holy Grail knights confirmed that what Caesar held was the real Holy Grail, they couldn't swing their swords recklessly.
Above all, they were shocked to see the saint's eye embedded in the Holy Grail pointing toward Gloria.
"...It was true."
"That woman was the saint?"
"Then we almost killed the saint?"
A woman in tattered red armor wielding a hideous greatsword that a devil might use, being the saint.
Not only the Holy Grail knights but also the ordinary believers and priests watching this scene were bewildered.
"Why is the Holy Grail..."
"Didn't they say the Holy Grail definitely chooses the most virtuous virgin in the world?"
"Then why on earth are you carrying such a hideous greatsword?"
Roland said, raising his sword.
"Hand over the Saint and the Holy Grail right now!"
"And if I refuse?"
"I will surely tear you to pieces and kill you."
Caesar spoke while looking at Gloria.
"Gloria, do you want to become a Saint?"
"No."
"Then do you want to go with those guys?"
"Absolutely not."
"Roland, Gloria doesn't want to become a Saint either, so will you kill Gloria too?"
Roland's fists trembled.
Now he couldn't think of what to do. There was nothing they could do by surrounding them, as both the Saint and the Holy Grail had been taken.
Caesar looked around at the people. Around them were about a thousand people. There were cardinals, Holy Grail knights, and White Tower priests, but also ordinary priests and followers had gathered.
"Saint!"
At that moment, a priest approached and knelt down.
"I am a servant of Goddess Royder. I am also a believer who was saved by the blessing of holy water."
The priest rolled up his top to show his stomach. There was a large scar on his stomach.
"Fifteen years ago, when I was on the verge of death after being caught in a train explosion, I was able to survive thanks to the blessing of holy water. If it weren't for the holy water, I would have died. Since then, I have sworn to dedicate my life to Goddess Royder."
Another combat priest approached, putting down his weapon and kneeling.
"I also suffered a severe injury during battle, losing my leg. I should have definitely died then. But I was able to survive like this after receiving the blessing of holy water. Since then, I swore to dedicate everything to Goddess Royder."
Other believers also approached and knelt down.
"Me too."
"So am I. I also received the grace of Goddess Royder."
"My son survived thanks to the Saints."
The believers bowed their heads to Gloria.
"Saint. Please take care of us. Please bestow upon us the grace of Goddess Royder."
"Please don't abandon us. We are powerless."
Gloria had seen quite a few people asking for help and people bowing their heads in gratitude after receiving help.
The mere act of being thanked was such a great joy for Gloria that it seemed to make her help people even more. But she had never seen people who worshipped her as a god and shed tears saying they absolutely needed her.
Gloria felt as if she was sinking into the depths of the sea, the weight of their gratitude becoming too much of a burden.
'If I become a Saint, would these people be happy?'
Gloria unconsciously grabbed Caesar's collar.
"Master..."
"Gloria, holy water doesn't heal people without a price."
Caesar thought of Gloria from the Valent saga. The image of Gloria curled up and trembling in a large water tank was vivid in his mind.
"If you become a Saint, hundreds, no, millions of people might live. But in return, you will live in terrible agony until you die."
Gloria's eyes turned to Roland. She recalled the terrible pain from Grezawa that had made her faint.
"It's not a matter of whether you can endure that pain or not. If you endure that pain, the next Saint will be forced to make the same choice as you. You might be fine with it, but are you going to ask the next Saint to walk the same path as you?"
Gloria's eyes turned to the collapsed columbarium. The remains of Saints who died without ever making their voices heard were buried there.
Gloria would also go in there, and so would other Saints after her.
"What do you want me to do, Master?"
"If everyone is asking you to die for them, shouldn't there be at least one person who asks you to live for them?"
The veins on the back of Caesar's hand bulged.
Crack! Crack!
Roland, the Cardinal, and the believers screamed.
"Ah, no! Stop right now!"
Caesar said with a slight smile.
"I'm always used to being hated."
Crush!
The Holy Grail shattered into pieces in Caesar's grasp. Roland rushed forward with bloodshot eyes.
"You cursed bastard!"
At that moment, Raven's wand emitted light. A green magic circle appeared beneath Caesar, Gloria, and Raven's feet, and they were teleported.
"Farewell."
Swish!
Roland's sword sliced through empty air. Roland screamed, looking at the shattered pieces of the Holy Grail.
"Aaaaargh!"