Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Holy Priest Ordination and Reserve Platoon (1)
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It was a massive gate, easily spanning a radius of about five meters.
'That's a big one. Something that size has to be spitting out a high-grade magical beast.'
In that instant, I recalled a few key settings from Demon King's Son Surviving in the Holy Empire.
The continent of Iseland, the backdrop for the game. About a century ago, mysterious monsters known as magical beasts began appearing there.
These beasts weren't even creations of the evil god standing in opposition to Jedin, the supreme god and deity of light. They were monsters of pure chaos, defying explanation by any known divine will.
Iselanders who encountered them sensed the end of their world. Countless magical beasts poured out through gates like this one.
Those gates came in various forms. Outbreak types that appeared suddenly like this one. And permanent gates, which evolved from outbreaks and refused to dissipate easily.
'There's even a permanent gate north of the Border Count's territory.'
The four earliest permanent gates to appear on the continent were dubbed Chaotic Gates by the Iselanders to distinguish them from the rest. They were colossal, rivaling modern skyscrapers, each positioned at the continent's extremities, endlessly summoning forth hordes of beasts.
Among them, the most dangerous was the one in the northern reaches of the continent—Permafrost, for short.
It summoned high-grade beasts far beyond standard classifications and absurd numbers of lesser ones.
The forces that threw themselves into halting that horde's southward advance, buying time for Iselanders to rally under the Holy Empire? The people of Essenmont.
The White Night Knights' exploits, in particular, became legend not just in the Holy Empire but across the entire continent.
That was the hidden history behind House Reinhardt—once a minor frontier clan—rising to the rank of grand duke.
I cut my brief reminiscence short and scanned the surroundings. The nobles in the VIP seats were watching the spectacle with delight.
"Oh ho. As expected of Pantheon's duels—worlds apart from your run-of-the-mill entertainment. They even throw in special effects like a magical beast emerging?"
"Indeed. A plain victory would be no fun, after all. It's surely an illusion conjured by a summoner mage or illusionist. No way an outbreak like that happens smack in the middle of the capital."
"This ought to be entertaining. It'll shake up those two fighters for sure. Wouldn't want that commoner witch actually beating the Marchioness of Aitern's daughter, after all."
"Look! A magical beast emerging from beyond the gate. The capital's mages are on another level—looks just like the real thing!"
As expected, these invited nobles were spouting utter nonsense with perfect composure. But I couldn't blame them. Summoning fake beasts for the opening ceremony was a real event.
Everyone else reacted the same way. Even the cadets—and Uriel herself—went like this:
"Lord Julian, that scene never fails to amaze me every time. Pantheon's illusion magic just keeps improving. But why bother with something as gruesome as a Type 2 high-tier beast? Gives me chills. Though near Permafrost, things like that are a dime a dozen."
True to her White Night Knights affiliation, Uriel instantly recognized the beast emerging from the gate. But even she didn't suspect it was real.
Eirin chimed in casually as well.
"You're right, Lady Uriel. Oh my, the beast has fully emerged now."
They'd probably run the same event last year at matriculation, so doubting it was out of the question.
Meanwhile, the beast slithered out of the gate. Black demonic energy writhed around its blazing red hide, like flames.
It landed on the colosseum floor. It looked like an ogre but triple the size.
The beast swung a massive axe through the air. From it flew spheres of pitch-black darkness, crackling with sparks, hurtling viciously toward the spectator stands.
Boom boom boom—KABOOM!
A deafening roar echoed as azure light flickered across the stands. Fortunately, the barrier activated, averting a catastrophe.
The nobles buzzed at the unprecedented explosion.
"Wh-what was that just now?"
"Another special effect from the Pantheon mages?"
"Has to be. Incredible. Once you taste entertainment this vivid, you'll never leave the capital. Ha ha."
The nobles grew even more nonchalant. But I'd seen it—a serious crack forming in the barrier from that single attack.
If that shield shattered completely, this colosseum would turn into hell on earth.
'Wonder if it'll hold for two more hits.'
I shot to my feet. At the same moment, a system alert popped up.
High-Tier Magical Beast Outbreak
📍 Objective: Survive the assault of the Type 2 magical beast.
This was no leisurely routine quest. A flashing red alert blinked in the corner of my vision, blaring warnings nonstop.
'Survive? If I half-ass this quest like that, my Pantheon days are over.'
This colosseum was packed with skilled holy priests and instructors, of course. But even they wouldn't realize this beast outbreak was real.
If the barrier broke and those dark spheres hit the stands, the death toll would be unimaginable.
'That's when the game's genre shifts to tragedy. No way in hell I'm letting that derail things.'
Especially if Fabian's crew bit it—I'd miss out on that debauched party entirely. So I had to block that beast's killing blow myself.
That would buy the Pantheon bigwigs time to react.
Of course, I'd prepared for this disaster in advance. Thanks to my preemptive "practice session" with Lillia, I had an awakened ace up my sleeve.
I hurried toward the seats where Pantheon's higher-ups were gathered, not far from me. I shouted at the dean sitting there.
"Dean! Listen and don't panic—that gate and beast that popped up out of nowhere? They're not illusions. They're real."
"And who might you... Oh, Lord Julian. Lovely to see you. But what's this sudden nonsense? That beast is an illusion crafted by our Pantheon mages. Quite lifelike, isn't it? Enough to fool even you, Lord Julian. Hee hee."
The dean flashed me an exaggeratedly cute smile. But it was short-lived. In that interval, two more dark spheres slammed into the barrier.
Shatter shatter shatter—CRASH!
The blue shield fragmented like broken glass. The barrier around the VIP section was now nullified.
And wouldn't you know it—this spot held the event's key Pantheon figures and high nobles.
"Hold on. I told the mages to add a cracking shield effect, but a full shatter like this? No illusion magic can do that... Wait, could it be?"
The dean's face twisted in horror.
"Lord Julian was right! That ogre's wreathed in demonic energy... Aura that thick means at least a Type 2 beast. Oh no! What do we do?!"
This dean was way too deep in character. Maintaining that youthful look must've regressed her mind too. Oh no, my foot. I bellowed at her.
"Dean! This isn't the time. Order the professors and instructors now. We have to stop that thing."
"R-right... But how did you know, Lord Julian?"
"It's a gut feeling inherited from Saintess Agnes, my mother. Hurry!"
"Yes! Professors! Stop that beast immediately!! It's not an illusion—it's real!"
The professors around the dean finally grasped the situation. They rushed toward the colosseum stage.
But it was too late. Another dark sphere from the ogre was flying straight at us.
Ruuuumble—
Even the sound as it hurtled toward us was different. Confirming the barrier's destruction, the beast had gathered even more demonic energy for a finisher.
"Wh-what the...? What's going on? The Pantheon staff look freaked."
"No way it's real? Run—!"
The crowd finally panicked at the dean and staff's reactions. But too late.
The dark sphere hurtled in at blinding speed, moments from slamming into the stands and unleashing devastation.
But I didn't flinch.
I dashed once more to the small stage the dean had used for the ceremony and leaped atop it. The dark sphere arrived right before my eyes. I thrust out my hand toward it.
Boom boom boom—KABOOM!
Roars exploded in all directions. At the same time, blinding light engulfed me.
In that moment, I blacked out.
I opened my eyes again. An unfamiliar yet familiar ceiling came into view. Didn't seem like I'd died and respawned outside Demon King's Son Surviving in the Holy Empire.
A quick look around confirmed it: my room in the capital mansion.
I checked my body. As expected, not a scratch. I recalled the scene just before passing out.
'I definitely blocked that ogre's massive sphere.'
A high-tier Type 2 beast. Even the Golden Wings Platoon—Pantheon's elite cadets prepping for holy priest ordination—could only handle Type 3s at best.
So for an unordained holy priest hopeful like me to block a Chaos Ogre's attack unscathed? A miracle beyond words.
Everything had gone exactly as planned. As I lay there, about to check the flood of system notifications, I sensed movement right beside me.
'Eirin?'
There she was, slumped over the bed from her chair, fast asleep. She'd probably dozed off while nursing me.
'I'm perfectly fine, but did she stay up all night watching over me?'
Feeling guilty, I stroked her hair without thinking. She woke up.
"...Young master? You're awake?"
"I woke you. Sorry, Eirin."
"N-no, it's fine. Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"
Eirin's eyes were red-rimmed, tear tracks visible here and there.
'Did she worry that much?'
Her voice hoarse, she continued.
"You've been unconscious here in the mansion for two days. The Medica Order professor examined you personally and said you were unscathed... but you wouldn't wake, so..."
Her voice brimmed with uncharacteristic emotion—worry for me, relief at my awakening—all over her face.
A beauty like Eirin wearing such vivid expressions packed a punch. Maybe not the time, but I pulled her into a hug on impulse.
"You've been through a lot. I'm fine, so don't worry."
"Y-young master?"
Startled, she didn't pull away. Thinking about it, this reaction from her was odd.
It was clearly different from the slavish devotion out of fear of a spoiled young master.
'That expression just now—she was genuinely worried.'
Before my possession, she'd slap my cheeks as "prep exercise" for her duties. Yet she harbored affection for this scoundrel?
Come to think of it, Eirin had entered the Border Count's mansion as a maid at age ten. She'd known her same-age playmate Julian since then.
According to Head Butler Liberto, she was basically his childhood friend.
'Julian wasn't a total lost cause from the start. At that age, more mischievous brat than full-blown wastrel.'
Anyway, I'd hugged her on impulse, but letting go wasn't easy.
"Young master? A-are you alright?"
She kept talking, concern mixing with confusion at my odd behavior. I ignored her. No memory of the blackout, but two days without her service.
And pressed so close, her refined, elegant scent flooded me.
If she'd nursed me all night, no time for a morning bath. Yet she smelled fresh as post-shower. Better than any perfume.
Having pulled an all-nighter amplified her pheromones, intoxicating any man.
'Sorry to Eirin for nursing me all night, but this thing won't behave.'
The demon king's tool ignored context. Her pitiful state only excited it more.
Add that seductive flesh scent, and my pillar raged like a starved beast.
"I see. These past two days... you were unconscious, so no service. Could you let me go for a moment?"
Eirin slipped from my arms. Her hand went to my crotch. With my last shred of reason, I held back.
"You've been nursing me nonstop—you must be exhausted. No need to push yourself."
She shook her head at once.
"I'm fine. Head Butler Liberto handled the household duties. Your well-being comes first... The healer said your body's intact, so service should be alright."
With that, she gently slid off my pants and underwear. Two days' rest had the demon king's heir standing prouder than ever.
Like the magic wand I'd gifted Rosetta—but fiercer, more monstrous in the flesh. Utterly vigorous.
Soon, her heated breath brushed the tip. Without hesitation, she parted her pink lips and took me in.