Chapter 322
Chapter 322
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Reunion
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Indomitable follower Borsha.
A battle maniac no less than the Indomitable Lord himself, she never left the hero's side until the fighting was over.
Her forward paws stepping boldly and her long and short swords gripped tightly in both hands were a declaration of her unrelenting will.
"...Fuck, am I still not sober—"
Such was Borsha, murmuring in a daze.
If it was to follow the Indomitable Hero, she was ready to throw herself into the heart of the demonic realm.
But—
"That's not right..."
-Gah, gah-gah-gak! Gah-gah-gah-gah-gak!!!
The Chaos Knight roared.
The sound, like nails scraping across a wooden board, echoed through the area.
That roar, like a beast's infrasound stirring primal emotions, shattered the listeners' will to fight.
They turned and fled without hesitation.
However.
The night's darkness that would hide them was no longer there.
The sacred tree, now towering as if to touch the sky, illuminated the entire area.
-Mommy! Mommy~!!!
Unknown voices mixed with the scattering light fragments.
That voice, excitedly repeating the same words in innocent tones, blended with the majestic tree to create a horrific dissonance.
"Ah...! I-I feel strange...!!! That voice— the power of His grace filling me...!!!"
Those touched by the light fragments falling from the sacred tree looked down at their bodies and screamed.
The others ran with all their might, leaving their comrades' screams behind.
They wouldn't stop or look back until they completely escaped this place!
Whoosh!
A wall blocked their path.
Gray flames surged fiercely, forming a barrier that cut off their retreat.
Fire wall ahead.
Sacred tree behind.
And the Chaos Knight.
Clank.
Clank.
It didn't hurry.
As if walking from an already predetermined doom.
"G-Get out of the way— get the hell away— arghhh!!!"
The fleeing ones were swallowed by light vines sprouting from underground.
"Th-this is elven nature magic...! Why the hell—"
"B-burn it with fire!!!"
"My black flames aren't working!!! This—"
"D-divine— divine power infused in nature magic!!!"
"Wasn't that thing a knight!? Why does it have this kind of power—"
"D-don't be fooled by appearances!!! It's a mage!!! Aim for its main bod—...
"What!? When did—"
The charging ones fell without even countering the swift sword strikes.
"Ah, aaah— aaaahhh!!! It's over!!! We're all done for!!! We're all gonna die here to that thing!!!"
"Damn it, get up!!! You really gonna give up everything like this?!?!"
"Damn it, damn it...! My legs won't move!!! The legs His grace bestowed upon me!!!"
"Just grab my hand!!! I'll support you, so let's get out of here!!!"
"Damn it— thanks...! If I'd known it'd come to this, I'd have treated you better, and if we survive and get back—"
"Yeah, we'll have a drink—... Ah. When did—"
Thud.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
They collapsed helplessly one by one.
"...L-Lady Borsha!"
"Hm? Ah—"
Borsha, who had been staring blankly at the scene, snapped back at her subordinate's call.
"Th-that one's bleeding— shouldn't we help!?"
"Help? Hel... Are you insane!? Helping a cultist—"
"No, I mean— shouldn't we help him take down the cultists?"
"...Ah!"
Borsha's eyes widened as she came to her senses.
Without realizing it, she had seen the cultists who attacked the camp as victims.
It was summer.
Black mages.
Those who wield unclean power are loathsome existences regardless of their realm.
Even Wai-geom, who knew his own reckless and unrefined nature, adopted a cautious stance when facing such black mages.
"Hah...!"
Thus—
Wai-geom couldn't help but let out a wry laugh at the scene unfolding before him.
The horde of black mages, now meekly captured like naughty children scolded by an adult.
"What a sight."
The unconscious black mages, gathered in one place, were bound without exception by sacred vines.
"H-hey!"
Some followers couldn't contain their curiosity and approached the vines.
They were priests who sensed an extraordinary sacred aura from them.
"Th-this—"
"What the hell is this!? Some kind of holy relic!?"
At that moment.
Someone murmured.
"World Tree..."
It was Grand Shaman Hmun.
"World Tree...?"
Doubt appeared on many faces.
Why was the elves' idol suddenly mentioned?
Hmun continued, addressing their questions.
"The Guardian Saint said... that for some reason, she became the mother of the World Tree..."
"..."
It didn't help resolve their doubts.
Instead, their frowns deepened at the growing mystery, but soon they nodded.
Hmun had simply stated the facts, but they took it as some cryptic prophecy from the grand shaman.
"Ah!"
In that instant.
The atmosphere tensed.
Clank.
The Chaos Knight.
He was slowly approaching from the opposite side.
The last cultist who resisted to the end—
With the High Priest of Hunger slung over his shoulder like luggage.
"My god..."
Wai-geom was speechless at the surreal sight.
The swordmaster suddenly recalled a memory from the past.
Maltel, the scream that cleaved through the forest.
A memory related to Dranoph, the high priest who served that demon.
It had been a brief yet unforgettable encounter.
Nevertheless, Wai-geom still remembered it vividly.
Back then, Wai-geom wasn't mature enough to bow his head to others for help.
Especially not to cultists.
Yet, he had formed an equal alliance with Dranoph at the time.
The reason was simple.
He had sensed the immense power and darkness hidden within that high priest.
Thus, even a rampaging swordmaster like Wai-geom couldn't treat a cultist high priest lightly.
Before that vast hidden darkness, even Wai-geom had to tread carefully.
The city's councilor Ran, who had called in outside heavyweights to combat the darkness within the city, felt the same.
But there was one exception.
The man with the lowest power level there—
Yet possessed the most extraordinary ability.
Back then, Wai-geom had thought upon seeing that man.
Without a doubt—
"...!"
It was then, amid his recollections.
The Chaos Knight.
Its visor lifted, revealing its face.
There was a very familiar and dear face.
Wai-geom— Rodan— carefully opened his mouth.
"Could you be the priest I remember?"
His gaze, scanning the assembled crowd, fixed on Rodan.
Joy filled his widening eyes.
Rishir.
He shouted.
"Rodan! To meet here of all places!"
"...Ha! Haha, hahahaha!!!"
Rodan burst into wry laughter again, then threw his head back and laughed loudly.
He continued his earlier thought.
'Without a doubt... back then, I thought that upon seeing this guy...'
That he'd go far someday.
And yet—
"Even so, I never imagined he'd make it this big..."
The afterglow of reunion.
Or perhaps, the shock of it.
Rodan stood there in a daze for a while.
"Hmun!!!"
"How's it going—... Huh?"
Rotna and Gelad.
Returning from scouting the surroundings, they widened their eyes the moment they stood beside Hmun.
"Y-you—"
Like Rodan, they spotted a familiar face there.
They recalled the crisis they faced in the previous Star World.
And the face of the one who saved them from that crisis.
As the two fell into confusion, someone stepped forward.
Hmun.
The beastkin girl's ears perked up.
Her hands neatly clasped over her chest.
Her eyes shone with a brilliance like gazing at the stars.
Her small lips parted carefully.
To utter the name of the great Guardian Saint.
"Miss Hmun."
Rishir responded without delay.
He approached her closely and spoke in a somewhat choked voice.
"This is our first time meeting like this, isn't it?"
"Ah...!"
Her wariness melted away at his friendly demeanor.
The wariness born of awe.
Hmun covered her mouth with both hands.
Tears overflowed from her doe-like eyes.
"Yes! To meet you like this— really— really... really...!"
Hmun couldn't continue, her breath catching with emotion.
She had been saved by his existence.
How could words ever fully express the gratitude she could embrace for a lifetime?
"Really, really—"
The beastkin girl's words never quite formed.
But her expression.
She smiled. Purely and brightly.
That joy-filled smile conveyed emotions words couldn't capture.
"..."
"..."
Rotna and Gelad exchanged glances and nodded.
Just as they gained confidence from Hmun's reaction and prepared to speak to Rishir.
"Uh...!"
They hurriedly stepped aside to make way.
Unhesitating footsteps.
Someone pushed through the crowd toward Rishir.
"Hero!?"
What the hell was going on?!
The followers, nearly losing their minds amid the sequence of events, belatedly came to their senses.
Blessed Hero Roera.
The cynical hero approached the Chaos Knight with movements brimming with emotion.
Roera never lost her unique aura, no matter the situation.
Thus, those who had only seen her cynical side were stunned by her actions.
Some even reached for their weapons, bracing for impending battle.
Step.
The tension peaked.
The hero faced the Chaos Knight.
"Hey."
The air stirred.
The hero's first greeting to the knight was so unconventional.
"No hello?"
Her nonchalant chin tilt and downward gaze were provocation enough.
"W-wait— Blessed...!"
Even Kuzan and the Indomitable followers were aghast at her behavior.
A battle maniac holding back, yet such brazen actions!?
Roera's sudden move heightened the atmosphere once more.
As everyone held their breath watching, the Chaos Knight finally acted.
"..."
First, he scanned Roera from head to toe.
Then, he craned his neck to take in the numerous followers standing guard behind her.
"Ha!"
The Chaos Knight burst into laughter.
Tension creased Kuzan's eyes.
'Mocking us!? The Blessed Hero and her followers!?'
His followers shrank back, sharing the sentiment.
"Lord Kuzan...!"
Borsha whispered to him.
"That reaction— it might work on non-cultists too!"
The Chaos Knight had subdued all the cultists single-handedly.
Yet the Indomitable expedition still regarded him warily.
They had no choice.
That overwhelming presence.
And its ominous form.
No room for doubt.
Hostility with it would be the worst scenario for the Indomitable expedition.
"What do we do!?"
"..."
After brief deliberation, Kuzan spoke heavily.
"If a fight breaks out between that thing and the Blessed—"
A battle maniac pursuing Indomitable and Valiant ideals.
He couldn't finish the sentence.
Meanwhile.
The knight's next action followed.
"A greeting... What should I call you?"
The Chaos Knight discarded his plain mask and flashed a sly grin.
A playful expression, as if reuniting with a brother after ages.
But the opponent was the Chaos Knight, not some close sibling.
Kuzan's unease peaked at the meaningful action.
"Blessed, what are you thinking...!"
He desperately hoped Roera would stop her rash behavior right now—
But it didn't reach her.
"What else? Blessed Hero 'Lady,' with proper respect and awe."
The Blessed Hero, like the Chaos Knight, flashed a playful smile.
She even provoked him with arrogant tones.
Within the Indomitable expedition, some began cautiously backing away.
"..."
They witnessed the knight's expression twitch.
It was surely the outburst of intense emotion.
Soon, the Chaos Knight let it out.
With a smile beaming across his face, he said.
"Blessed Hero Lady. It's an honor to meet you."
As everyone felt an ominous vibe from that smile.
"Roera!!!"
Kuzan bellowed.
"Hero Lady, no!!!"
The gathered followers screamed.
Tat-tat-tat.
Roera suddenly charged at the Chaos Knight.
The area descended into chaos in an instant.
Some to stop her—
Some to flee—
Some to join in—
As everyone made their judgments.
Roera's cry echoed through the space.
"Oppa!!!"
With a voice full of affection, she threw herself into his arms.
Blessed Hero Roera.
The cynical hero rubbed her face shamelessly against the knight's chest like a spoiled child.
"...!"
Kuzan and everyone else's jaws dropped.
"Who the hell—..."
Even Roera's comrades, like Hmun.
The followers who remembered the hero's usual demeanor cried out in horror.
"Th-the hero's under mental magic!!!"
The Bendel mansion was thrown into unexpected uproar.
Due to a certain rampant rumor lately.
A maid cried out in shock.
"Master Rishir did what!?"