Chapter 149
Chapter 149
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: Hero Party (3)
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Those who had been observing the battle could immediately sense Heinrich's change.
It was impossible not to.
The trajectory of his sword slicing through the air, the heavy thud of his footsteps, even the light rhythm of his breathing—it all began to exude an overwhelming pressure that took the breath away.
"...The Saint has broken through a wall."
"Gasp! Sir Tuskin? When did you...?"
"Shh."
And the Paladin, the very symbol of the Church's military might, was equally amazed.
Silverwing Paladin Captain Tuskin, who had quietly arrived to watch upon hearing of the Saint's sparring match, gazed at the arena with deep emotion.
Wasn't it he who had spotted Heinrich's potential back when he was just a holy warrior and brought him from the Talia Temple to this place?
Yet that same holy warrior had become a Holy Knight in record time, achieved great feats, drawn the holy sword, and risen to become both Saint and Hero. How could he remain unmoved?
'And that beastman warrior facing the Saint... impressive. If he fought in earnest, even I'd have a tough time.'
The Paladins of the Church of the Main God were not mere knights who had reached the Master realm.
That was merely the baseline for their martial prowess; they also needed at least bishop-level holy power and five or more blessings to ascend to such an honorable position.
Naturally, their combat prowess defied ordinary measures, especially in defense, where they were utterly unmatched.
'With physical abilities and feral instincts surpassing monsters, plus the refined combat system of a true warrior... Indeed, to be the Saint's companion, he needs to be on that level.'
Tuskin nodded slowly in acknowledgment as he watched Harley from outside the arena.
And at that moment, the massive axe blazing with dark red aura clashed once more with the brilliantly shining holy sword.
Kuung—!
With a massive impact that rattled the protective barrier, the two stepped back as if by mutual agreement.
"Kuhahaha! As expected of the Hero! This is my first time facing a warrior this strong!"
Harley, his appearance a total mess, reverted his mutated body to normal and burst into hearty laughter.
His body was drenched in blood from the intense fight, but thanks to Super Recovery, not a single wound remained.
Crunch crunch!
Instead, the excessive energy drain brought on a ravenous hunger.
He pulled dragon meat from the extradimensional magic tool at his waist and devoured it ravenously.
"Hoo—."
As Harley wolfed down several chunks of meat right there, Heinrich let out a light sigh and straightened his torn ceremonial robes.
Even as the Hero, he couldn't emerge unscathed against Harley.
But thanks to powerful blessings and holy power protecting his body, only his clothes bore any significant marks now.
And even those were wounds from the early and mid-stages of the fight, before he'd acquired Path of the Martial Artist.
'I got too immersed for a moment there.'
Still, it was a satisfying outcome with unexpected gains.
This spar had stimulated Heinrich's Martial Prowess, broadening his perspective on martial arts and directly leading to his skill's evolution.
It was an unforeseen synergy from blending Harley's instinct-driven style with his own reason-focused combat.
Whether due to that unexpected collaboration or the insight it brought, his mind felt refreshingly clear, filled with an exhilarating sense of elevation.
"Congratulations, Saint! We knew you were strong, but to think even that was just a growth phase. Truly, you are the hope of this continent!"
"That beastman warrior is impressive too... At that level, I have no choice but to acknowledge him as your companion, Saint."
"Warrior, do you have any special muscle-training methods of your own? We Holy Knights have our unique routines—how about exchanging tips sometime?"
"Sounds good! The Hero's allies getting stronger benefits everyone. We can't join you directly, but we can help like this!"
The musclebound onlookers swarmed the pair as they left the arena, chattering excitedly.
They treated Heinrich, with whom they'd built camaraderie through joint training, and Harley, who'd just proven his worth, without reservation—their sole topic was, of course, training.
And as he listened, a different thought suddenly flashed through Heinrich's mind.
'Companions... A party to defeat the Demon King and Immortal King...'
It was doubt about the current situation.
In truth, things were unfolding far more urgently and relentlessly than initially planned.
If he were truly the Hero facing a Demon King bent on world destruction, this pace would be appropriate.
Rather than respecting personal opinions with a 'take it or leave it' attitude, he'd have negotiated more aggressively with nations for greater commitment.
'Even now, the intelligence department keeps bringing lists, subtly pushing for more involvement.'
But his goal from the start wasn't just defeating the Immortal King—it was building a heroic saga.
And in such a 'classic tale,' the protagonist gathering companions through trials was a key part of the narrative.
'Like Harley's great adventure.'
Harley, who lived a life of struggle, escaped in Act 4 after being subjected to vivisection by the wicked black mage Hans.
He then befriended merchant Hubert, elf Harris, and dwarf Howard.
And finally, in Act 7, he awakened his dragon blood.
'And that's where Act 7 ends—becoming the Hero's companion.'
That had been the direction for his 'living room theater' from the beginning.
Though successive events had led to the current mess.
'Pushing the story that way now... The Oath of Reverse Heaven has thrown everything off with their nonstop disasters.'
From the locals' perspective, rushing war preparations made sense, but Hans had lost control amid the unexpected turns, rampaging beyond plan.
Maintaining the policy of minimizing sacrifices was no longer feasible.
With growing suspicion already, further progress would erode the Immortal King's plausibility.
'I thought picking off moderately evil folks would suffice... But embodying the Immortal King carries too much weight.'
Any action alone escalated to disaster scale, making control difficult.
Compounded by the Oath of Reverse Heaven's deeds, war loomed inescapably.
'Once it starts, 'sacrifices for the greater good' become inevitable. War is structured that way. Beyond my control.'
Was there truly no way out?
Force sacrifices for his greed, or quit satisfied? Binary choice?
'No way! Just avert war somehow, right?'
Since he was the invasion's source, he could stop anytime without negotiations.
The issue was doing it naturally...
As these swirling thoughts furrowed Heinrich's brow in contemplation,
"Saint? Do you have time now?"
An emergency meeting of Roselia Grand Temple's leadership was convened under the Saintess's auspices.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A small conference room in the deepest part of Roselia Grand Temple.
Though modest in size, the gathered figures were all heavyweights.
The Saint and Saintess, two cardinals, the Heresy Inquisitor General, the Paladin, and archbishops.
The temple's entire leadership discussed future plans.
"Sigh, this is serious. Uniting the continent's forces is still sluggish, and now Immortal King Hans is making overt moves."
"In the northern forests not far from Rohan Principality... It's clearly meant to mock us—watching the kingdom we half-destroyed fully crumble up close."
"So many died in the Rohan incident. And those sacrifices will only grow, fueling the Immortal King's power."
The agenda was the aura of death recently detected deep in the northern mountains.
Though the Immortal King's concealment was legendary, masking such massive energy shifts was impossible.
Naturally, it was sensed by detection-blessed individuals like the Saintess, prompting investigation and this meeting.
"This is more grave than ever! It's on another level from before!"
Saintess Riesta shot to her feet, her voice urgent.
Her detection skills were unmatched in the Church, so all listened gravely.
"Not just Immortal King Hans's aura—tens of thousands of undead were detected too. He's deployed his full gathered forces in one place. Meaning...!"
"...A declaration of war."
"In this situation...? No, precisely because of it. And toward Rohan Principality..."
'Huh?'
The leadership's faces darkened.
They'd just received word that refugee rescues were stalled by endless monsters.
Collapsed defenses, lawless chaos.
Citizens hunkered in the capital, others banding for survival.
Amid struggling containment, an undead army appeared nearby.
Proper defense was impossible now.
"With the continent groaning under monster uprisings, mustering armies is hard enough..."
Cardinal Pion sighed at the compounded crisis.
For the greater good, abandon the principality and fortify the empire's border—but over 100,000 clung to the territory. How to abandon them?
"...The Immortal King watches our choice, laughing."
No good options. All trembled at his cruelty.
'It came to this again? ...No, my thinking was shortsighted. This was inevitable.'
Everyone but one.
Church Saint and Hero Heinrich nodded solemnly, mind racing.
'Ugh, how to fix this...'
His good intentions seemed only to hinder now.
He'd just vowed alternatives, and here was a new headache.
"...What of the empire's forces?"
"First-wave units assembled at the northern border have just entered Rohan territory. Three legions of 10,000 each, heading different routes to the capital. Reinforcements continue."
"If the empire learns of this..."
"...They'll cancel operations and withdraw immediately."
The mood sank.
Without the empire's masses leading refugees, the Church's efforts were futile.
But withholding intel risked undead invasion shaking the empire too.
'The empire isn't blind; they'll notice soon. Maybe mid-meeting like us... Yes, only that way.'
Hans's northern position would stem monsters there, but without rescues, meaningless.
Heinrich steeled himself, closed his eyes, and prayed.
His focused mental power surged faith, expanding his divine connection dramatically.
With 640,000 karma points in 'Mental Strength Enhancement' from deeds, the effect was unparalleled.
Naturally...
Wuuung—
Amplified holy power poured from him, his aura—once transparent flame—spreading in dense radiance.
"Huh!?"
"...Saint?"
The leadership's eyes fixed on the sacred blaze filling the room instantly.
The blazing, near-tangible energy was purely awe-inspiring, overwhelmingly reverent.
As attention peaked,
Heinrich rose piously.
Praying inwardly for the Main God's permission to be a righteous con artist.
"Will you hear me out? ...The Main God has shown us the path."
The brilliant aura enveloping him was proof of approval.
Probably.