Chapter 196
Chapter 196
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 196
Chapter Title: Mutation - 4
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“Such petty tricks...”
Kaikilia examined the magic circle glowing blue around the bedroom walls from every angle. It was a barrier without the slightest gap.
She raised the holy sword and lightly scraped the magic circle with its tip. The part where the blade touched stretched out like taffy before snapping back elastically. It felt just like poking a rubber wall.
“For a demon, you’ve used your head quite well.”
Kaikilia muttered as she instantly grasped the nature of the magic circle.
If this had been a barrier created by demonic power, she could have easily torn it apart with the holy sword. To them, holy power held that kind of meaning.
But things were different now. The barrier surrounding the bedroom was made of mana—a magical barrier. Thus, against it, the holy sword was nothing more than a glowing blade.
“The outside must be thoroughly contaminated by now.”
The holy sword had been reacting wildly since earlier, so it was certain. Demonic power had thoroughly polluted the vicinity.
No one could approach without holy protection or purifying the surroundings with holy power. Not even Minerva.
“Do I disgust you that much, you pathetic creatures?”
Kaikilia sneered.
Demons had an intensely strong sense of pride in their existence, mocking and scorning the concept of mana simply because humans used it. She had heard it straight from them.
Yet, for them to use that very power they despised to pull off something like this meant their hatred for Kaikilia ran even deeper than their pride.
Well, from their perspective, she must be utterly loathsome. Right at the moment when one more step would have swallowed the entire imperial palace, she had appeared with the holy sword and ruined everything.
Most of the demons in the palace at the time had been permanently eradicated, and the few survivors had abandoned their pride and fled with tails between their legs. So, their deep hatred was only natural.
“What to do with this.”
After sneering, Kaikilia scraped the magic circle again with the holy sword. The spot where it touched emitted a faint blue light.
The blue light soon spread throughout the bedroom. The magic circle rippled. It was just like waves crashing.
If she wanted to shatter it, she could. The power she wielded wasn’t something to be blocked by a mere magic circle like this.
She wouldn’t even need to use her full strength. Just swinging with a bit more force than usual would melt this thing away like wet tissue paper.
The problem was what came after.
“The aftermath will affect other areas too, huh...”
As expected of demons, they had used their heads. The structure was ingeniously clever.
To break it required a certain level of force, but the moment that level was applied, the intensity was designed to drop sharply.
The instant Kaikilia swung the holy sword to destroy the magic circle, it wouldn’t just take out the palace—it would sweep away parts of the imperial capital too. She’d end up destroying the empire with her own hands.
“......”
Kaikilia briefly calculated the aftermath of such destruction.
The palace collapsing? Rebuild it. The empire’s wealth overflowed. She could erect a new palace anytime.
People dying? It didn’t matter. Kaikilia was the kind of person who had left even the Silver Dawn Knights and Golden Twilight Knights as irrelevant. How much less would she care for commoners?
“However, from the emperor’s perspective, that wouldn’t do.”
Collateral damage was something she could endure. But the spread of unease within the empire from that damage was intolerable—and unacceptable.
This place—the imperial palace where Kaikilia resided—had to be the empire’s most impregnable, mighty, and solid fortress.
If word got out that the palace was half-destroyed and people had died, anxiety and panic would spread like wildfire. As emperor, it was the most frown-inducing scenario.
“Tch.”
Finishing her calculations, Kaikilia clicked her tongue. At this rate, she’d have to dismantle the magic circle piece by piece.
It had been a while since she last dealt with magic, so her memory was a bit fuzzy, but Kaikilia was the woman once hailed as the empire’s greatest genius after Minerva.
The knowledge she had accumulated wasn’t going anywhere. She planted the holy sword into the floor, standing it upright, and approached the magic circle. Just as she brought her hand near it.
“......Looks like someone’s saved me the trouble.”
The magic circle began to crumble.
The geometric patterns covering the bedroom scattered cleanly and vanished without leaving a trace of mana, as if they had never existed.
Kaikilia had only just reached out her hand, so that meant...
“Minerva.”
As Kaikilia muttered, the bedroom door opened, and Minerva walked in.
She didn’t ask the clichéd question of how she had entered when the outside was filled with demonic power. A shield of holy power visibly enveloped her body.
“Was it the pope?”
Instead, she asked another question—one truncated at the front—but Minerva understood and nodded. Her long white hair swayed behind her neck.
“That’s right.”
“How strange. For them to personally help you—what wind blew this way?”
Kaikilia had never heard of popes directly intervening in external affairs over the past few centuries. They had always sent inquisitors and interrogators to carry out holy wars.
They’d managed fine like that until now, so why suddenly provide such a shield and send her?
She had heard rumors lately of them appearing outside the grand cathedral more frequently, so perhaps it was related.
“It might be a bit delicate for the child. Want to hear it?”
“Don’t waste time. When have their actions ever had a non-delicate reason? I need to hurry and slay the demons who set foot here.”
At Minerva’s response, delivered with a faint smile, Kaikilia waved her hand as if telling her to cut the nonsense.
“Put your worries aside, child. The Pope of the Sun has already gone. Ah, and that’s the answer too.”
“......What did you just say?”
Kaikilia’s expression hardened.
“The Pope of the Sun came personally? Not just granting you holy protection to send you, but actually coming here?”
“That’s right.”
“Why?”
It wasn’t enough that they had personally granted Minerva holy protection; now they had even set foot here themselves. The situation was growing increasingly inscrutable. It was earth-shattering.
“I don’t know the exact reason. They didn’t tell me, so that’s natural. But I do know the Pope of the Sun is showing tremendous interest in that child.”
“......Ha.”
Kaikilia scoffed.
She knew exactly who “that child” was—the one the Pope of the Sun was supposedly showing tremendous interest in.
“Then it means they’ve come coveting what’s mine.”
That sealed it. Before, she had suspicions but no proof, forcing her to let it slide ambiguously. But not now. The Pope of the Sun coming personally was the most solid evidence.
The letter delivered through an inquisitor—the one claiming they had no interest whatsoever—was, as expected, a blatant lie. A cold smile crept across Kaikilia’s face.
“Where are the demons now?”
“They’re here.”
Minerva, as if she had anticipated Kaikilia’s reaction, gave a light smile and tapped the floor with her staff.
In the next instant, Kaikilia and Minerva were transported to a corridor somewhere in the palace.
She didn’t show it, but she was inwardly quite surprised. There had been no visible magic circle, let alone blue mana. It seemed Minerva had achieved something tremendous in a short time.
“There they are.”
At Minerva’s words, Kaikilia turned her gaze. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on such feats. Far more important matters remained.
Someone who claimed no interest upfront but harbored greater greed than anyone behind the scenes. She had to confront that insolent vixen who had dared lie to the emperor of the empire.
Kaikilia soon achieved her goal. Spotting the pope was easy.
“......”
There she was—the pope, who had insisted she would never take interest and to rest assured—tightly embracing the man in her arms, groping his chest and exchanging fierce kisses with tongues intertwined.