Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: The Power of Love!
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First off, one thing was crystal clear.
The final day wasn't called "the most dangerous" for nothing.
"⋯⋯Whoa, what a headache."
Carlyle glanced up at the sky for a moment and muttered those words.
A black storm seemed to be gathering high above. The difference from a regular storm was the sheer malice coalescing there—it was on another level entirely.
‘Hero. Every time I see that thing, I think the same.’
[⋯⋯The work of demons?]
‘Demons’ handiwork.’
No matter the form, it carried an eerie certainty of some kind of intervention.
Even if similar phenomena had occurred multiple times before, this was never something that could arise naturally.
"⋯⋯."
And somehow.
It felt like the demons' interference was ramping up in sync with ‘Carlyle himself’ and his actions.
Somehow, compared to before, every time he tried to do something, a ‘sabotage operation’ seemed to follow right on its heels.
The Hero was one thing, but he was starting to feel like a marked target himself.
‘I wonder where that bastard’s scheming this time⋯⋯’
Though they’d never properly crossed paths even once yet, that didn’t change the fact that the fiend was undoubtedly plotting somewhere right now.
They were so consistently vile that trust was starting to build in that regard.
With such thorough and unwavering scumbags, they had time left over to whip up monstrosities like that.
"⋯⋯Don’t stare at it too long, damn it. Just being near it feels crushing."
"One side of my vision’s completely blocked off. How am I supposed to fight like this?"
As he said, the debuff effect radiating from the Black Omen staining the sky was immense.
Just looking at it felt like someone was pouring poison into your eyes. A splitting headache came with insidious whispers that eroded your ears.
Simply gazing into it felt like some horror was incessantly murmuring atrocities in your mind.
Focusing on it for too long, listening too closely—it wouldn’t be strange if you went mad right then.
Monsters exposed to it went berserk, but the subjugation forces weakening even more from exposure was the real problem.
‘Then just don’t look.’
From Carlyle’s perspective, it was simple: ignore it.
Whispers directly assaulting the mind were par for the course, thanks to the ever-present Holy Sword in his head.
"⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯."
And there were the dragon sisters glaring at him like he was some freak.
"How⋯⋯ can you look at that and act like it’s nothing?"
"Pardon?"
"We get affected if we stare too long. Humans would be worse off."
As mana-based lifeforms, their mental resilience was far superior to humans’ by nature.
Even they had to worry about mental corruption from prolonged exposure, yet this man talked like it was just a mild headache he could shrug off.
Not that it didn’t hurt, but that this level of pain was no big deal.
"I’m used to it."
"⋯⋯What?"
She responded with disbelief, but Carlyle had nothing else to say.
Mental attacks from demonic power weren’t a once-in-a-blue-moon thing anymore.
More importantly.
"If you two are already getting spooked when we’re the ones who have to wipe that out, what are we supposed to do?"
"⋯⋯No, no, if it’s just about powering up and smashing it, we’ll manage somehow."
Siona brushed back her hair and spoke with a troubled look.
"But isn’t it about clashing with ‘emotions,’ not just surface-level stuff?"
"⋯⋯We’ve been doing what we’ve been practicing these past few days."
Carlyle sighed in response.
"We’ll just have to go with that."
"⋯⋯Uh, are you serious?"
Smashing such a terrifying phenomenon with pervy antics.
"⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯."
Leona and Siona flushed and fidgeted with their legs for no reason.
Good lord.
⋯⋯Good lord.
It was the only sentiment that came to mind, but it was true—there really was no other way.
"I’ve got it ready."
The moment Carlyle pulled out the ‘item’ while saying that.
Looks like he was some lunatic shot toward him from all sides.
Half and half, probably.
Half wondering what he planned to do with that.
Half realizing the ‘meaning’ and questioning doing it here.
"We’ll start with this⋯⋯"
Carlyle swept his gaze over the dragon sisters as he spoke.
The motion reeked of resignation: Would this satisfy you two?
"⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯."
Their faces said no verbal answer was needed.
‘⋯⋯Bunch of crazy perverts.’
Honest impression.
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"Creepy, huh."
Gray Chasefield stared blankly up at the sky and voiced that sentiment.
"They call it the Black Omen, but it’s so pitch-black it rubs me the wrong way."
"⋯⋯The Imperial Administration issued an official alert. Says if you live near Poheaven Margrave Territory, don’t stare at it for long no matter what."
"Definitely puts me in a bad mood looking at it."
"⋯⋯."
⋯⋯The official alert warned of side effects like mental derangement, blindness, memory loss, and more from prolonged viewing, so be careful. But for the Hero, it was just a mood killer, apparently.
Anyway, that aside.
"⋯⋯Lady, is this really okay?"
"What?"
"No, just⋯⋯ going off without even telling Carlyle…"
Vespa mumbled awkwardly, timidly glancing around.
The area was unusually chaotic with the Death March—one of the Empire’s infamous disasters—underway.
Hard not to be, with that thing hanging in the sky.
Ethically speaking, unauthorized personnel like them trudging in was debatable.
But who was present here?
Humanity’s protector, with the most philosophical stance on ethics and morality.
"If I wanna go, who’s gonna stop me?"
"⋯⋯."
"Tell ’em to try me if they’re jealous."
That was the logic from the one who should theoretically be protecting humanity against its great foes.
Sorry, everyone.
Vespa wiped her face, silently apologizing to unknown parties on her behalf.
⋯⋯That said.
She’d followed the Lady’s reckless charge out of her own longing to see Carlyle.
Accomplice, maybe. The guilt weighed heavy on her chest⋯⋯
Fortunately, it was clear such gloomy thoughts wouldn’t linger long.
They’d find Carlyle in no time.
-⋯⋯
-⋯⋯⋯⋯!
A trumpet-like blast echoed as a massive black whale swam across the sky.
Vespa let out a low gasp of admiration at the familiar sight.
"Blackie!"
"⋯⋯You’re really calling that thing that?"
"Yeah, ’cause that’s what Carlyle decided on?"
"You’d believe him if he said the sun rises in the west⋯⋯"
Gray grumbled something, but didn’t add more to the sentiment.
More accurately, she had no chance to.
The sight before them was too shocking.
"⋯⋯Hey."
"Yes, Lady."
"Not sure if what I’m seeing is weird, but."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯Yes, Lady."
Gray seeing something wrong was virtually impossible, but Vespa decided not to argue the point.
⋯⋯She could barely believe her own eyes right now.
Carlyle was floating across the murky sky.
In a state where massive armies were on high alert, crossing alone was eye-catching to anyone. But neither Vespa nor Gray would bat an eye at that.
Not a big deal anymore, considering what that man had pulled so far.
But.
"He’s riding a dragon, that guy."
"Seems so."
And that’s where the massive glitch began.
Dragons never let anyone ride their backs. In the past, it was to display a ruler’s dignity, but even now, demoted from continental overlords to societal members due to various circumstances, the custom remained firm.
Never mind Siona, who served Felix as superior. Leona had been an arrogant dragon spouting canned lines like ‘pathetic human’ the moment she saw Carlyle.
Yet.
Not just riding.
"⋯⋯He’s got two dragons leashed and flying around?"
"⋯⋯Looks that way⋯⋯?"
"⋯⋯."
Right now, Carlyle was flying with ‘leashes’ on each dragon, one foot propped on each side.
What to call it.
Not sure if the metaphor fit, but it looked like handling ‘pets.’
Blatantly asserting his superiority over them.
⋯⋯And that alone was bizarre enough.
The dragons’ reactions to it were even stranger.
"⋯⋯I don’t know much about dragons."
Gray spoke in a voice uncharacteristically full of confusion.
"But don’t they usually⋯⋯ like that kinda thing?"
"⋯⋯."
"Are female dragons just into all that by nature?"
⋯⋯Vespa didn’t know dragons well either.
But one thing she could say for sure.
"Doubt it⋯⋯?"
"Then why are their eyes all glazed over like that?"
"⋯⋯."
"Anyone’d think they were drugged. What’s their deal?"
⋯⋯How should I know, Lady.
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