Chapter 104
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Which Gutsy Bastard Kidnapped My Daughter?
At that moment, the basement door rattled briefly.
Mattias stared at the gaseous monster slithering out through the gap in the door and raised his sword to slice through its core.
At the same time, Acid slashed at the beast-like monster creeping up behind Mattias with his sword.
Thick blue blood spurted from the monster, soaking not just the back of Acid's hand but his tunic as well.
Thanks to his experience in long wars, Mattias could easily dodge the monster's blood. With an elegant motion, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Acid.
“Wipe it off first. It stinks.”
“Yes, please continue.”
Acid nodded curtly and took off the tunic wrapped around his back.
Now only a simple shirt remained on his upper body, revealing the contours of his muscles. It clearly showed that Acid had become a man.
The sight irked Mattias in a strange way, so he spoke up.
“You must be someone the Pope needs.”
Acid, still gripping his sword tightly as he guarded Mattias's side, noticed his own body growing fainter and gave him a puzzled look.
Mattias stomped on the eye of a filthy monster crawling across the floor, as if he knew all about it, and continued.
“The Pope drew a summoning circle. It's a magic circle that carves away part of your life force and drags the target you want straight to you, no matter where they are.”
“That’s…….”
A rare look of fluster crossed Acid’s face. Mattias said quietly.
“From the looks of it, the Pope’s the one who kidnapped Sien……. So you’ll end up near Sien.”
Mattias glanced at Acid.
After hearing the full explanation, a faint crack appeared on Acid’s face again.
He tried his best to compose his expression under Mattias’s gaze, but it was plain as day.
“Don’t smirk.”
The subtle joy on Acid’s face grated on him terribly.
At that moment, Acid’s body began to fade almost completely.
Mattias wore a grumpy expression but relentlessly cut down the monsters around them to ensure Acid could leave safely.
***
I glared at the Pope with blazing eyes.
But despite his slightly pale complexion, he wore an expression overflowing with bliss.
“Finally, we’ve secured an altar for our sword to serve upon. And it’s the central temple, no less.”
Was he caught up in the excitement of summoning Acid?
The Pope didn’t even seem to care about hiding that we were in the central temple.
Thanks to his mutterings, I now knew for sure this was the central temple.
I let out a hollow laugh as I stared at the newly erected altar.
The Pope had exhausted his power to create it.
‘Why the hell does he want to turn Acid into a sword? And what’s with that attitude like everything’s over once he has Acid!’
While I pondered deeply, the Pope continued perfecting the altar with his holy power.
Right in front of me, a long rectangular carved wooden block rose up. And on top of it gleamed streaks of gold.
I watched white smoke billowing from the tip of the carved wood. The pungent aroma was strong enough to envelop my nose.
I furrowed my brow and glared at the carved wood.
Atop it was a depression deep enough for one person to stand in.
“Finally, it’s done.”
The Pope smiled at me with a feigned look of pity, the kind only a ‘Pope’ would make.
“What’s done?”
“Your meddling ends today.”
As soon as he finished speaking, white smoke enveloped us completely.
Coughing, I stared wide-eyed at the altar. What the Pope wanted was, in other words…….
“Our sword shall now descend upon us.”
……Acid on top of that altar.
And……
“What is the meaning of this?”
My deduction complete, Acid was summoned atop the altar with a stern expression.
Seeing him, the Pope clasped his hands in front of his chest in rapture.
“Finally…….”
Acid’s sharp gaze meant nothing to him. Unlike his forceful summoning, the Pope bowed his head deeply to Acid.
“Please, be reborn once more as our sword.”
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly as I said. So the world can be set right, be forged into a sword here on this altar.”
“I don’t see how that benefits me.”
My body tightly bound, I thrashed wildly and shouted at Acid.
“Acid! He’s insane!”
The Pope, who had glanced my way, said coldly.
“Axel Mirmod, you can dispose of that useless thing now.”
At his words, Axel staggered toward me.
I narrowed my eyes and stared at him.
He reached out to choke me again. But Acid spoke first.
“Is that necessary? If I become the sword, isn’t it all over?”
His voice didn’t tremble; it just sounded ordinary. But the brief glance he threw my way past the Pope seemed to vibrate faintly.
Hearing Acid’s voice, I swallowed hard.
In other words, Acid was definitely……
“Let her go.”
……far more grown-up, more adult-like than me.
Even in this moment, I closed my eyes briefly at the subtle distance I felt from him, then opened them again.
Acid was trying to protect me too.
So instead of useless thoughts like this, I needed to figure out how to protect Acid.
“If you let Sien go, I’ll cooperate.”
I bit my lip hard.
I couldn’t be a burden; I had to think of a way to save Acid as quickly as possible.
Even now, the Pope wore a satisfied smile.
“Will you truly cooperate?”
“Yes. I will truly cooperate.”
“In that case……. Axel, back off. Once everything’s done, I’ll let you do as you please. Go crouch in the corner.”
Axel and the Pope seemed to have a superior-subordinate relationship.
Axel grumbled and muttered curses through his teeth but obeyed without argument, slinking off to the corner.
I watched in fascination until Acid’s whisper reached me while the Pope was momentarily distracted, making my body stiffen.
“He’ll be here soon. So rest easy.”
But there was no chance to say more.
The Pope approached us again. He lit more incense on the altar, then knelt before it and bowed a couple of times.
‘Acid…….’
Unlike his calm demeanor, I stared at Acid anxiously. But he no longer seemed like the boy I had once saved.
Even as he hung from the altar, Acid maintained a knightly poise. His expression remained blank even as he watched the pure white flames flowing from the Pope’s hands.
“It may feel a bit hot. But the forging process is always hot, isn’t it?”
“Too wordy.”
“Yes, let’s begin the forging now.”
The Pope ignited the white flames starting from Acid’s extremities.
“Don’t do it!”
Ignoring me completely, the Pope gazed reverently over Acid’s entire body, as if in worship.
I muttered quietly through clenched teeth.
“Acid, don’t let it hurt.”
I wasn’t sure if he could hear……
In this moment, amid the blazing flames, Acid remained serene. Only I trembled violently as I watched him.
The pure white flames with blue cores began devouring Acid’s feet. Yet his expression remained utterly unchanged.
And in a very small voice, he replied to me.
“I’m fine, Lady Sien.”
It was as if he wanted to reassure me.
Tears threatened to spill at the sight of the flames consuming his body, but I forced myself to calm down.
We were definitely at a disadvantage, but objectively, if I thought rationally, it might not be all bad.
‘It’s not a ritual to kill Acid. We still have time, and the more they relax, the more openings they’ll create. So calm down.’
If what Acid said was true, reinforcements would arrive soon.
The Pope sneered sharply at us as we gazed at each other.
“As if you’re fine. Now then…….”
The Pope smiled happily, as if all his plans were coming to fruition.
The picture of a typical dumb villain.
‘Usually, this is when they screw up…….’
I narrowed my eyes and glared at the Pope.
“Shall we move to the next step?”
It was right then, as he stroked Acid’s hair with eyes full of affection.
A faint vibration echoed from the door.
The Pope, engrossed in Acid, hadn’t noticed the subtle tremor yet.
Axel Mirmod, who had come to torture me, seemed to be continuously drained of energy in this space; he was slumped in the corner, just gasping for breath.
Meanwhile, I, gradually freeing myself, stared intently at the door.
‘Is this vibration good for me or bad?’
Still tightly bound, I kept glaring at the door.
I had no idea if Acid sensed the vibration from the door, but either way, he was drawing the Pope’s attention to keep him from noticing anything near the entrance.
“Pope.”
“Yes.”
The Pope was exceedingly polite in front of Acid.
An incredible display of humility.
He bowed his head deferentially to Acid, as if he might grovel.
“Noble Sword, do you have something to say? Do you feel any discomfort? How does it feel to be truly forged into a sword? I’m so curious.”
Acid stared at the white light devouring his body, responding bluntly yet with a hint of fatigue.
“I’m just curious. What exactly…… are you doing to me right now?”
Even as he spoke, the vibration grew steadily stronger.
I watched the door where the vibration came from, half-listening to Acid and the Pope’s conversation. Light began seeping through the door crack.
Yet the Pope, focused on Acid, noticed nothing.
As I watched the door start to crack open, I was certain.
‘Delphia’s here! Acid said she’d come earlier.’
I’d left a note, so I thought Delphia could definitely reach this place.
I’d asked her to shake off my dad safely, but I wasn’t sure if that had worked……
Hiding my pounding heart, I deliberately straightened my shoulders.
It didn’t show much with my arms bound tight, but I wanted to look cool in front of Delphia, as her young lady.
And so, the door slowly opened.
Just as the Pope and Acid faced off in conversation. A black silhouette sliced through the door in an instant and slipped through the gap.
I swallowed hard and stared at the black figure.
‘I need to act confident in front of Delphia.’
She was faster and more capable than I’d expected; I decided I’d let her stroke my pink hair later.
But then, a voice I hadn’t even imagined rang in my ears.
“Who the hell dares kidnap my daughter?”
……Huh?