Chapter 244
Chapter 244
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Master of the Demon Sword (2)
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Rishir.
He had recently resolved a series of incidents related to the 'night,' which had filled him with tremendous confidence in himself.
~I'm pretty much at that level now~
The kind of confidence that made him puff out his chest as he said it.
However.
After meeting Shuon and her group, he reflected on himself and was reminded once again of the importance of humility.
Swordmaster MidSword.
Archmage Red Sky.
The high priest of the church.
Having conversations with these top figures in their respective fields had made him acutely aware of his own shortcomings.
His insights into swordsmanship were woefully inadequate compared to the Swordmaster's.
His insights into magic were woefully inadequate compared to the Archmage's.
And as for divinity... there was no need to even mention it.
'Divinity is basically... like a neglected child, almost at the level of Bendel's Rishir. Come to think of it, I've been too neglectful of divinity up until now.'
Demon swordsmanship was ultimately just the thread that wove all those elements together.
If each one was lacking, stitching them together wouldn't amount to anything.
'That's right. Demon swordsmanship isn't omnipotent...'
In other words, he needed to build a solid foundation.
Rishir felt the need to solidify that foundation once more.
"It was a fruitful time. Wasn't it, Dangaleon?"
Dangaleon was uncharacteristically speechless.
Zuini.
Did that mean he intended to surpass all those pests in their respective fields?
The loyal spirit(?) could only swallow his words with effort.
But.
Thinking about it, it wasn't all that strange.
"...Did I say something like that?"
And so, Rishir spent time reviewing his own 'foundation.'
The first thing that came to mind was astrology.
'I've been so busy lately that I haven't contacted Roera. Perfect timing.'
Rishir closed his eyes and focused his mind.
Once again, a star is born.
The beastkin city of Parok.
A grand festival was currently in full swing there.
Hero Roera.
Thanks to her and her hero party resolving the crisis facing the city.
Moreover, they had succeeded in subjugating the-
'ancient god' sealed deep beneath the city, which had been the root of that crisis.
The cornerstone of disaster.
Parok's moniker had lost its meaning.
In a very positive way.
The citizens held a massive festival to honor the heroes who had brought eternal peace to the city.
"It still... doesn't feel real. Such an ideal ending..."
Among the praised heroes was the shaman Yoan, who had guided them to the city.
She still couldn't believe it.
That her connection with that young, foolish shaman being chased by evil spirits would bear such fruit.
Yoan, who had been merely the third daughter of a respected family in Parok with an ambiguous position, had solidified her standing in the city through this incident.
Of course, the vacancy left by the eldest son—who was set to inherit the family but had been corrupted by the ancient god's power and subjugated along with it—played a big role.
"Why wouldn't it feel real? Isn't this what we went through all that crap for?"
Lotna, the senior knight of Roera's hero party.
Now close friends (one-sided claim) with each other, Lotna draped an arm over Yoan's shoulder and said.
"Be a bit prouder. If it weren't for you, how could we have entered that 'sacred' ruin and subjugated that 'sacred' bastard?"
Lotna wagged her finger for emphasis.
Without Yoan's active mediation, the hero party wouldn't have resolved not only the ancient god sealed underground but even the unidentified problems it was causing in the city—
That was what Lotna meant.
"If you hadn't convinced that stubborn city elder Sirain, huh? You know what I'm getting at?"
"...Come to think of it, I haven't told you yet."
At that moment, Yoan spoke meaningfully.
"Actually, it wasn't me who convinced Sirain."
Roera, who had been writing in her journal nearby, twitched an eyebrow in response.
"You didn't convince that stubborn grand shaman to lend power to us outsiders? That doesn't make sense. If not you, then how? And why?"
"Hamun."
"Eh? Yes? Me, me!?"
Hamun, the shaman engrossed in the feast on the table, looked up in surprise.
"Sirain listened to me because he was originally interested in Hamun—you."
"Interested in me...? For what reason..."
"Well, isn't it obvious?"
Gelrad, the wizard formerly of the Crimson Tower Master, chimed in casually.
That thing.
Everyone's faces lit up with understanding.
Hamun's guardian star.
If that peculiar existence had intervened, any event could be explained.
"A grand shaman like him must have recognized the special nature of Hamun's guardian star."
"..."
Hero Roera pouted her lips.
It was an expression of displeasure, but considering her usual cynical demeanor, it could be called adorably cute.
A side of Hero Roera that only appeared when thinking of a certain man.
"I don't like it."
Roera grumbled curtly.
"H-Hero!? What's wrong!?"
When the little shaman Hamun asked, Roera pondered briefly before answering.
"This atmosphere where everyone's acknowledging that guy."
"Ah..."
Indeed, why was the hero upset?
Because others were recognizing the true value of the man she alone had seen?
Or because her goal of making him look up to her and call her 'sis' wasn't getting any closer?
Who knows.
The hero rarely dropped her cynical mask in front of others, so only she and 'that guy' could know her true feelings.
"Well, still."
Her sulky expression gradually softened into a smug smile.
"We pulled off a big one this time."
The banquet hall's lively, peaceful atmosphere was soothing the hero's mood.
It was the product of the great feat she and her comrades had achieved.
Roera thought.
Even by 'that guy's' warped standards, this level of achievement wouldn't be ordinary.
"Heh heh..."
Roera imagined 'that guy's' reaction upon hearing of this feat and wore a pleasant smile.
"Huh!?"
It was then.
Hamun, the shaman happily stuffing her cheeks like a squirrel, suddenly looked up in surprise.
At the same time, she reached out sideways and grabbed Hero Roera beside her.
"Hamun?"
Thus, the anomaly occurred abruptly amid the ongoing banquet.
"...Huh?"
"What's that...?"
The people seated around the hero party.
They were high-ranking officials of the beastkin city, those who kept shamanism close to their daily lives.
Among them were grand shaman Sirain and other high-level shamans.
They detected the sudden change in the young shaman Hamun and the hero.
"What is this..."
From the perspective of these superior shamans, the two's spiritual power was like that of children.
Yet, the 'spiritual energy' of those two was surging dramatically.
Due to the mysterious aura that had suddenly enveloped them.
A phenomenon that only occurred when superior shamans offered numerous sacrifices in rituals to contact higher beings.
"H-Hero Roera—Shaman Hamun. Are you alright...?"
An elderly shaman cautiously asked.
Hamun gave a wry smile in response.
"Ah! Don't worry, it's just—my guardian star contacting me!"
"...?"
Guardian star contacting her?
The shamans were bewildered by Hamun's attitude, as if chatting with a distant acquaintance.
Hamun closed her eyes gently.
After focusing on the spiritual world like that, she returned to normal about a minute later.
"What is it, Hamun? You were under for quite a while."
To Lotna's words, Hamun smiled and replied.
"It seems Sir Rishir is getting more accustomed to being in guardian star state day by day!"
"Being in guardian star state...?"
The shamans' minds repeatedly failed to process the phrase, spitting it back out.
The shamans' confusion didn't end there.
"Wait. Their spiritual energy—"
The unidentified ritual of shaman Hamun had concluded.
Yet, 'that aura' still lingered on her and the hero.
It was high-quality spiritual energy that even superior shamans needed months of training to acquire.
In other words, Hamun and Roera had undergone astonishing growth as shamans.
Like consuming a spiritual elixir, if compared to mana.
"What the..."
Some shamans were so dumbfounded they were speechless.
As the shamans floundered in confusion, trying to accept the situation—
"So, Hamun. What did Sir Rishir say this time?"
Lotna asked.
Yoan and the others leaned in to listen to Hamun.
"Ah."
Suddenly, Roera exclaimed as if remembering something.
"Hamun. Did you tell that guy about this?"
This.
She meant the feat Roera's hero party had accomplished this time.
"Ah!"
Hamun clapped a hand over her mouth in surprise.
"Sorry, Hero! In the chaos, I forgot...!"
Roera shrugged with a wry smile.
"The one who should apologize is that guy for contacting you so suddenly."
Even as she said it, regret was evident on Roera's face.
She had been waiting for his contact, imagining him fainting in shock at the huge news.
"Anyway. What did that guy say?"
Regardless, Roera's eyes sparkled.
Originally, meetings between Hamun and her guardian star in the star realm lasted only an instant at most.
But with repeated practice(?), the duration extended to simple greetings, and now they could even have short conversations.
Nearly a full minute.
It was the first time their 'call'(?) had lasted this long.
What had that guy said during that time?
The cynical hero maintained an indifferent expression outwardly, but inwardly she was fidgeting with curiosity and anticipation.
"He's currently staying in the elves' city!"
"How'd he end up there?"
"She summarized it, so I don't know the details, but he stopped by to learn nature magic!"
"Na, nature magic...!? The elves' secret art!?"
Roera hummed 'hmph~' at her comrade Crimson Master Gelrad's reaction.
"Gelrad. Is that nature magic a big deal?"
"It's a bit complex to explain, but... just know not anyone can learn it."
"Then, which is more impressive?"
"Which is more impressive—"
"Compared to the feat I accomplished in this city versus learning that nature magic."
"Heh! Roera. I didn't know you had this side to you."
Another facet of the cynical hero.
The wizard was briefly surprised by the hero's expression, which only appeared when talk of 'that man' came up.
"Compare apples to apples—that's what I mean. Even if learning nature magic is impressive, it's nothing compared to your feat. You subjugated that evil being even senior spirits feared!"
The Crimson Master spoke in an exalted tone, recalling the final battle.
A mischievous smile spread across the hero's face.
I win?
As if saying that.
The cynical hero said to Hamun in a somewhat excited tone.
"He said it's good he's learning nature magic?"
"She became the mother of the World Tree!"
"..."
Roera's expression froze. Her thoughts froze too.
Unable to think, she looked at Crimson Master Gelrad again.
What I did this time.
Versus becoming the mother of the World Tree.
Which is more impressive?
The hero asked with her eyes.
No answer came.
"World Tree's..."
Mother of the World Tree.
The Crimson Master's brain was still pouring all resources into processing that enigmatic code(?).
The hero party's wizard froze with his mouth agape.
"I don't know the details, but it's that thing again, right? That thing."
Lotna said after taking a sip of her drink.
That thing, yeah.
It was what Roera's hero party said whenever incomprehensible phenomena related to 'that man' occurred.
That magical jargon perfectly summed up the situation this time too.
"Come to think of it, Hero. I haven't heard that from you yet."
While the shamans were lost in confusion over 'that thing,' Grand Shaman Sirain—the only one maintaining composure—approached Roera and asked.
"What are you the master of?"
"..."
He was asking about the holy sword's property.
Roera glanced at her holy sword and replied.
"Blessing."
"Blessing..."
The Sword of Blessing.
It was sometimes called the 'Sword of Luck.'
Because its master was always accompanied by blessings and followed by all sorts of fortune.
But.
Roera couldn't fully grasp the meaning of that name.
Had she ever experienced notable luck since obtaining the holy sword?
Moreover, the holy sword had fallen asleep after choosing her and hadn't awakened since.
"How is it, master of blessing? Does the name's meaning feel real to you?"
At Sirain's question, Roera let out a wry laugh.
She checked her comrades and shrugged.
"I'm always feeling it."
That was Roera's conclusion.
She decided that meeting such great comrades was all thanks to the 'Sword of Luck.'
And so.
The moment the master of blessing looked at the Sword of Blessing with a resigned expression—
"...!"
A woman's delicate voice.
It was the first time Roera had heard the holy sword's voice since being chosen as hero.
As Roera panicked at the sudden reunion, the holy sword spoke to her.
"Thanks to me, you recovered your strength? What did I do?"
"..."
The holy sword chooses the most suitable master for itself.
In other words.
Roera was chosen as the master of blessing because she was the one who best fit the name of blessing.
In other words—
Because she possessed extraordinary innate luck befitting the master of fortune.
"Proved the reason I'm the master of blessing...?"
Roera tried to recall recent lucky moments.
Unless she went with the touching logic of 'my comrades are my greatest luck,' nothing came to mind.
Roera suddenly grew curious.
She had always been curious.
Why had the Sword of Blessing chosen her as master?
What 'luck' had it seen in her?
"...Just now?"
Roera's eyes slowly widened.
One thing came to mind.
The contact with a certain guardian star.
Through that contact, Roera had undergone spiritual growth enough to shock the shamans and ignite their inferiority complexes.
That.
For Roera, who had grown somewhat accustomed to the person named Rishir, it was nothing special arising from their connection.
However.
Objectively, it was an enormous opportunity rarely encountered in life—
In other words, luck.
"..."
Roera's expression turned strange.
Her innate talent as the hero of blessing.
Perhaps it was—
'Oppa’s little sister? Is that the hero of blessing's greatest power?'
The next morning.
Shuon's group gathered to discuss Rishir once more.
Contrary to plans, they spent a very busy and serious time.
"The demon sword issue isn't resolved yet, and now this lightning bolt?"
Swordmaster MidSword sighed heavily.
"Maybe we shouldn't be worrying about that guy right now? A new crisis."
Crisis.
It was the form of foresight seen by the seer Shuon—
She could sense and glimpse massive events influencing the grand flow of the 'world.'
"Last night. I felt a new crisis."
That was the first thing Shuon said at the morning meeting.
In response, Shuon's group immediately gathered in her room to prepare the ritual.
"..."
Once the ritual preparations were complete—
Shuon.
Surrounded by her comrades, she received their power.
"..."
Shuon, murmuring something, opened her eyes wide.
Her brown eyes, hidden behind narrowed lids, were revealed.
Soon, those brown eyes were dyed golden.
Broken Glass.
Seer Shuon.
Her eyes began to glimpse the new crisis.
"..."
The comrades sharing power with Shuon also witnessed the same crisis.
That crisis was—
Related to the life and death of a star.
A star is born.
The star seeks its follower.
The star communicates with family through the follower.
The follower and the star's family gain great power.
The star's family realizes their fate.
The star meets death satisfied.
"..."
The golden hue in Shuon's eyes slowly faded.
Thus, the glimpse of the crisis ended—
Someone muttered in a tone like air leaking from their lungs.
"What the hell is this?"