The Heibrun Subjugation (1)
Screams echoed from all directions.
Beyond the turquoise mist, flashing lights and tangled shadows writhed without pause.
Though my vision was hazy, it was clear that a fierce battle was raging just beyond the fog.
Desperate shrieks, the sharp clashing of metal, ragged breathing, and furious roars tangled together, fueling the chaos.
"Block the entrance! We must execute the evil god worshiper here!"
"T-this is impossible! How could a pillar of Midtemple make a contract with an evil god...!"
"Ha, hahaha... T-this has to be a dream..."
There were those who immediately faced reality and tried to resolve the situation, and those who denied the truth right before their eyes.
"Aaaargh!"
"Call a healer immediately! The wounded need urgent treatment!"
"Catch him! He's escaping!"
Pandemonium.
It was absolute pandemonium.
Cornered, Jacques von Heibrun desperately tried to break through the crowd and escape the temple, but several councilors and paladins threw away their lives to stop him.
Boom!
The once quiet and sacred temple had transformed into a horrific battlefield drenched in screams and the stench of blood.
Sssss.
Ah.
It was at that exact moment.
The quietly burning holy fire of Aether lost its strength and began to slowly flicker out.
As the blue flames dwindled, the temple plunged into an even deeper darkness.
The holy fire—the flame that illuminated the truth and served as the sole judge of the sacred trial—had died.
Indeed.
Now that all my claims had been proven true and Jacques von Heibrun's corruption had been laid bare for all to see, the sacred trial was practically over.
"Sir Gaon...!"
Just then, a figure rushed urgently toward me.
It was Sikan Bauer, the investigation leader of Midtemple.
Whoosh!
He tossed the Feather Sword to me.
Reaching out instinctively, a cold yet familiar sensation wrapped around my palm.
...It's been a while.
Shring.
As I drew the Feather Sword from its scabbard, it let out a soft hum, emitting a faint glow.
It was the first time I had held a blade since entering the Holy City. As always, it felt completely weightless.
"The situation is critical! We must hurry!"
Sikan Bauer urged, his steps hurried. It was a stark contrast to his usual calm and composed demeanor.
I followed him, cutting through the mist toward the council seats.
What a mess.
Step, step.
With every stride, the devastation around us became clearer.
Marble floors stained with fresh blood. Shattered chairs and scattered documents. Unconscious bodies strewn about, and the debris of half-collapsed pillars.
Yet, no matter where I looked, Jacques was nowhere to be found.
Glancing toward the main entrance, I could see the shattered doorway, bearing the marks of a violent struggle.
...He's already escaped.
As expected of a Level 99 powerhouse, he had already broken through the perimeter and fled.
I quietly shifted my gaze.
Even amidst the chaos, the three Sword Masters sitting in the front row hadn't budged an inch.
Pokryong, Heukgol, and Pean.
Unbothered by the commotion, their eyes were fixed solely on me.
"We couldn't help it."
"...?"
Before I could even speak, Pokryong shrugged and began to excuse himself.
"We had no choice but to let Jacques von Heibrun go. Under Midtemple's laws, we aren't allowed to interfere during a sacred trial except to subdue the defendant."
"..."
It was true.
There was only one reason those Sword Masters had been summoned by Midtemple.
To restrain me in case of any unexpected actions.
Any other intervention was strictly forbidden. This meant they couldn't be blamed for not stopping Jacques von Heibrun.
Well, I hadn't expected anything from them in the first place, so I had no intention of reproaching them.
"But..."
Pokryong glanced away.
Following his gaze, my eyes landed on the defendant's stand where I had been standing just moments ago.
"...The holy fire of Aether has gone out."
The implication was clear.
My innocence had been proven, and the sacred trial was officially over.
Ha.
Pokryong let out a dry, disbelieving chuckle.
"I thought it was absolutely impossible, but you actually got yourself acquitted."
"..."
Forming an alliance with Doricco Shiro, swallowing the Shadow Society whole, and still walking away innocent.
It was a scenario no one could have imagined.
For Pokryong, who had hoped I would be found guilty so he could fight me to the death, this must have been incredibly disappointing.
"Well, even so..."
Crack, crack!
Pokryong cracked his neck and knuckles, warming up. He looked ready to plunge into battle at any second.
"You haven't forgotten what you said, have you?"
"...?"
"You said that if someone tried to kill you after you were acquitted, you would do your absolute best to survive."
Wait. Hold on.
"It's perfect, since you're holding a sword right now."
A broad grin spread across Pokryong's face.
Grasping the Pokyeomdo with both hands, he stared straight at me.
"I've waited a long time for this moment, Gaon."
"..."
"Please, don't disappoint me."
I could only stare at Pokryong in utter disbelief.
Is this guy insane...?
He wants to fight me right now, in the middle of all this?
Seriously?
I knew he was a battle maniac, but I didn't realize he was this much of a reckless lunatic.
...Of course, my bewilderment was short-lived.
I quickly regained my composure and calmly prepared my next move.
Clatter!
A clear metallic ring echoed across the floor.
Pokryong, who looked ready to pounce at any second, froze in his tracks.
"What... do you think you're doing...?" he growled menacingly.
Ignoring his threat, I spread my arms wide.
"Kill me."
The Feather Sword I had tossed away was rolling on the floor.
"Go ahead. Kill me."
"You son of a...!"
Grit!
Pokryong glared at me, his face contorted with rage. It was understandable, considering he was all fired up only for his opponent to throw down their weapon first.
But my friend.
No matter what you do today, you won't be able to fight me.
Why?
Because the very reason I summoned you all here was...
"W-what did you say?"
A few days ago.
In a special hospital room at Wintersield Magic Academy.
Upon hearing my plan, Strawberry Latte... no, Targon, wore a look of sheer shock.
Running a hand through his curly pink hair, he asked again.
"You're going to intentionally accelerate Jacques von Heibrun's corruption?"
"Yes."
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I calmly began to explain.
Jacques von Heibrun.
He was originally designed to fall to corruption when the world was already half-ruined.
In the official lore, he was supposed to appear in the late game, after major factions had collapsed and things were so messy that the player could barely clean it up.
But that would make the situation even more dangerous.
"A corrupted Jacques becomes a disaster on par with the Five Nightmares."
By then, crises would be erupting simultaneously all over the world, and we wouldn't have the luxury to deal with him.
"So it's much better to eliminate him now, while the political landscape is relatively stable."
"Hmm..."
Targon nodded, looking half-convinced but still skeptical.
"Okay. Fine."
Targon looked at me and asked, "But can you handle that alone, hyung? He's designed as a late-game boss, after all."
"Of course I can't do it alone," I admitted honestly.
Sure, I could kill him using Soul of the Sword Master.
But the issue was the collateral damage.
Considering the attack patterns of the corrupted Jacques von Heibrun, a battle with him will inevitably cause massive casualties.
In particular, he possessed a self-destruct skill that would obliterate everything around him upon death.
If a subjugation battle took place in the middle of the city, the entire area would be reduced to ashes. Major facilities in the Holy City would be destroyed, and countless civilians would be caught in the crossfire.
"Then how..."
"Simple."
I smiled.
"If my strength isn't enough, I just need to bring in some helpers."
"...Helpers?"
"Yeah."
Targon asked, looking puzzled. "Are there really people at this early stage who can fight a corrupted Jacques? Who?"
"The other twelve Sword Masters."
"...?"
Targon froze, his brow furrowing.
He looked like he couldn't comprehend what I was talking about.
"No, wait. There's no way those crazy bastards would willingly help you..."
"Of course not. That's why I'm holding a sacred trial."
"...?"
"If I confess to my crimes and become the defendant, by law, at least three Sword Masters must be summoned to the Holy City."
It was the most reliable way to gather them in one place.
If his corruption was inevitable anyway, it was better to trigger the event at a time and place of my choosing.
A chance to eliminate a future threat early, wipe out Midtemple's Traditionalist faction, and imprint my strength onto the other Sword Masters.
It was killing two... no, three birds with one stone.
"..."
Targon stared at me in silence for a long time before finally speaking.
"...Hyung, are you insane?"
I still haven't forgotten the look Targon gave me, as if I were a complete lunatic.
But, Latte... no, Jung-ho.
High risk yields high reward.
If you only seek the safe and certain path, you'll end up with a mediocre ending... which is to say, the 'apocalypse.'
Do you get it now?
That's why you could never escape being ranked second.
That's why you could never escape being ranked second.
"..."
I said it twice because it was important.
Anyway.
The reason I confessed to my crimes.
The reason I triggered the sacred trial and gathered three Sword Masters in one place.
Yes.
It was all a plan to corner Jacques in a public forum, expose the evidence of his corruption, and bring him down.
There's no need to let a massive disaster erupt in the late game when things will already be chaotic.
By bringing this tragedy forward, we could minimize future damage.
Ah, of course...
"Are you going to mock me until the very end, Gaon?"
...All of this was based on the premise that things would go according to my plan.
"Pick up your sword right now. Stop playing tricks."
Pokryong growled viciously.
He was so enraged that hot steam was rising from his nose.
I didn't even blink as I replied flatly.
"Pokryong."
"..."
"Have you forgotten the 'Sacred Covenant' I made with the Great Ones?"
Yes. I had to save the world from the apocalypse.
And all my actions had to align with that premise.
"But if I'm leisurely sword fighting with you while Jacques von Heibrun is running amok, what do you think will happen?"
"That..."
"Naturally, it would violate the covenant. And then the penalty of the restriction would trigger."
I shrugged and continued.
"Either way, I die. In that case, I'd rather just be executed by your hand."
"..."
Obviously, this was a complete bluff.
The core of the Sacred Covenant I had made was survival—meaning, keeping myself alive.
If an opponent came at me with intent to kill, fighting back wouldn't violate the covenant at all.
"Grrr...!"
Pokryong wasn't stupid enough to not know that.
It was just that he was too worked up to think straight.
"Fuck!"
Boom!
In his frustration, Pokryong slammed his fist into the wall.
The marble shattered into pieces, sending dust flying in all directions.
"Fine! Then if I take care of Jacques, I can fight you to my heart's content!"
Crack, crack!
Cracking his neck once more, Pokryong glared at me with a menacing expression.
"Be ready, Gaon."
"..."
"The moment I take his head, you're next."
I smirked.
We'll see about that.