Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Sisters of Vengeance
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"You idiot!!"
Slap-!
"Ugh! F-Father! The one who did wrong! The one who insulted me was that bastard! But why..."
"The one who framed you is Jerban's Kallias!"
"Kallias? That fucker Kallias!? But his presence..."
Far beyond an average paladin.
Even seasoned knights couldn't move under his pressure!
"Violle. I've let your antics slide all this time because you at least had an eye for valuables. But if you can spot treasure yet fail to read people, there's no reason to let it go."
"That can't be true about him! Tell me. Tell me the reason!"
"When will you come to your senses? Even the kingdom's top wastrel has done his part now."
Even a wastrel has his role to play.
"What do you..."
Count Altemion let out a sigh.
"There was a massive war in the north. The barbarian orcs invaded, or so they say. Do you know who ended it?"
"No way."
Indeed.
"The kingdom's premier wastrel. Kallias brought that war to a close. The tales might be exaggerated, but they say he severed the warlord's head."
"I-Impossible! How could a wastrel..."
How could a wastrel end a war! A warlord!!
"Afterward, he headed south, cutting down every corrupt noble in his path. That moniker 'Judge' must be his."
"No way! There's no..."
But that pressure he'd shown was truly astonishing.
Was that bastard really a wastrel?
"There are all sorts of rumors, but if what you heard is true, then the spirit stone's worth comes out of your hide. Tsk."
He'd wiped out the debt owed to that man for nothing.
All because of this useless son.
"It's not fully confirmed yet. Don't act rashly."
No more.
"Don't disgrace the family."
Thud!
Violle stormed out of the office, eyes bloodshot, fists clenched tight.
"Kallias...!"
Violle bolted off.
He ran and ran until he reached his annex, then headed underground.
"I'll make you regret it, Kallias!!"
There, countless magical beasts were caged behind iron bars.
* * *
I left the tavern and walked the streets of Caladi. Unlike the north, the weather was mild and quite pleasant. With the nice day, the streets bustled with people.
Far from the fallen kingdom label, the people of Caladi seemed at ease.
"The north was nearly overrun just recently, yet here it's all peace and quiet."
"Sir, are you sure you're alright? He's still a count's son..."
Brans must be worried about tangling with a count's heir. I shared one fact with him.
"I'm a count too."
"Oh! Right you are! Heh, I forgot for a second!"
Leaving Brans's goofy grin behind, Helena jumped in.
"Even counts aren't all equal in meaning or weight. The four great nobles are fixed at count rank, but their status and influence rival dukes."
Carpe's founding king had granted them that peculiar privilege out of fear their power might grow too vast.
Didn't seem to help much.
"But Helena. How long do you plan on tagging along?"
"Who's tagging along with who? Look at you assuming. It's been ages since I was in Caladi, so I'm meeting friends and stopping by the church."
"Then we're parting here."
Helena draws too much attention.
She's helpful, but I wanted to head to my next stop quietly.
"What are you up to? You've delivered the letter of recommendation, so you're done, right?"
"I have my own business."
"Uh... alright then. See you later."
With Helena vanishing into the shadows, Kallias set off without delay.
"She seems pissed."
"Nonsense."
Why would she get upset over that?
"But sir, what are we doing?"
"Finding a holy alchemist."
Top priority: locate one specializing in potions to refine the troll blood.
Ideally, extract dragon blood from the brainwyrm's haul, and commission artifacts from the byproducts.
Caladi should have a suitable one.
Finding that guy would do it.
And just in case, I needed the church's master smith too.
I'd left the possessed sword behind, but in case Dexter couldn't manage, I needed backups.
"I'll need to roam around until word from the church comes."
Slim chance, but inquire about the defeated god's seed or chalice too—plenty to handle.
"While I'm at it, best to investigate how the kingdom's crumbling."
Come to think of it, Cedric from Trista should return soon, so prep for that.
If he'd found the holy relic as expected, I'd help the twin gods' church settle in Carpe.
If not, I'd have to find it myself.
Multiple faiths would be key to rebuilding Carpe.
‘Cedric, huh.’
He wouldn't get utterly crushed like before.
Should be a good match.
"Not that I intend to."
"Hm?"
"Nothing. Let's go."
A moment later.
Halt. My steps stopped.
I felt eyes on me.
"What's wrong, sir?"
"About fourteen, no, fourteen exactly."
"What?!"
The blatant killing intent screamed assassins.
Motive? Sender?
"Violle wouldn't send killers this quick, so maybe nobles feeling the heat?"
Possible.
I'd decapitated every corrupt bastard on the way to Caladi.
"Kallias. What face do you show coming to Caladi? We all could've been happier without seeing your mug if you'd just died."
Figures emerged from an alley.
Several in black hoods.
"Hm...?"
But Kallias's expression shifted.
Though hooded in black, their slender curves betrayed women.
Nobles hiring female assassins these days? Then words I didn't expect spilled from her lips.
"Because of you, the sisters are still lost and suffering."
"Sisters?"
As her words ended, resentful glares appeared from all around.
All over a dozen assassins were women.
‘Thirteen pilgrims, one paladin.’
All pilgrims and a paladin.
Church clergy.
"Didn't I tell you three years ago? Never set foot here again!!"
Three years ago?
"Ah......"
Three years back.
I'd nearly died then.
『Church's Prodigal』
Because of this damn trait.
"Sir! Leave this to me! This kind of lovers' quarrel is my specialty!"
"Get lost, you stompy-pie bastard!"
"Oof!!"
Boom!! Brans crashed through a building wall and didn't stir.
Knocked out in one hit.
"Utterly useless."
Even after the northern war.
Brans was as useless as ever.
"Die!!"
Amid the frenzied charging nuns.
"Hoo."
Kallias could only sigh softly.
* * *
『Church』
The Valterus Church gathers priests from childhood, puts them through trials, and forges clerics.
Clerics train in swordsmanship to become pilgrims.
The process demands grueling practice, all for devotion to the god.
Thus.
Interactions between men and women, let alone romance, are rare.
Of course, love doesn't vanish just because of hardship, but the setup makes "prodigal" scandals tough.
Training is segregated by gender, buildings apart.
Men far east. Women west.
Hard to even glimpse a face.
Yet Kallias managed the impossible.
No ordinary feat.
"I did nothing."
He hadn't even initiated.
Speak a word, and sisters scaled walls at night on their own—not him.
Anyway.
‘Shouldn't have added this backstory.’
No help regretting now.
What was done was done.
Even without the setting, Kallias would've tangled with women inevitably.
This handsome face draws them without trying.
Blame the looks!
‘Sin of beauty.’
Paying the price now.
"Die!!"
"Enemy of all women! Drop dead!!"
"Why didn't you love only me!"
Slash! Crunch!
I didn't even draw my sword.
Just dodged their strikes with a troubled look, by a hair's breadth.
Stray blows hit crates in the market. Amid splintering debris, pilgrims' blades rushed me.
But to me, sluggishly slow.
‘Indeed.’
Growth beyond compare to three years ago.
I'd dashed through northern battlefields, transcending life and death.
Countless orcs, great warriors.
A warlord's axe demanded more than this. Three years back, deadly; now, child's play.
Fighting them confirmed it.
‘Slow, full of openings.’
No coordination.
Just emotional flailing.
Pilgrims vary, but these weren't elite.
Fortunate? Yet it felt deflating.
And the reason for fighting? Awkward.
Drawing steel felt off.
So I snatched a long, round flower vase handle from the trash and smashed a pilgrim's head.
Crack, clang-! Crash!
"Gah!"
Thud! I charged the fallen pilgrim.
Dropping low, closing in fast—she thrust in panic.
Rapier wielder, skilled in thrusts.
I tilted my head aside and palm-struck her gut.
Thump!
"Grraaah!!"
Boom!
No holy power needed; my seun-enhanced body overwhelmed her.
"What a hassle."
"Urgh...!"
I swept back my hair, annoyed.
The charging nuns flushed and hesitated.
"That face!"
"That voice—don't seduce us!"
" Snap out of it, sisters! We swore to the god to kill him!!"
"......"
It was escalating.
Staying meant witnessing more cringe.
Best to.
"Dodge and escape."
"You bastard with the sisters!!"
Whoosh! Clang-!
I grabbed another pilgrim's hand, parried her blade, and swung her along.
Gripped in my vise-like hold, she tried shaking free—futile.
Like a waltz, I controlled her body against the foe.
"Relax your strength."
"Wh-what..."
She blushed.
Not right in the head, even now.
No surprise—they'd harbored feelings for Kallias.
"Maria! What are you doing!"
"Sister Maria! Forgotten our vow!?"
"I-I can't help it! And he smells so good!"
"We feel it too! You devil! Give us Maria!!"
Listening polluted my mind.
Using her as a shield to slip away fast.
Then.
Whooosh-!
Screech-! Scrape! Grind!
A flying sword trailed sparks.
‘A paladin's a paladin.’
Unlike pilgrims.
Sharp timing.
Piercing ambush.
Killing intent worlds apart.
"Kallias. Still toying with the sisters, I see."
The hooded paladin blocked my path, raising her gleaming blade. Accused of nothing, I couldn't stay silent.
"I've done nothing then or now. They're the desperate ones."
"Don't insult the sisters. Wastrel."
Whip- Clang!!
Power, speed, precision—different league from the pilgrims.
I maneuvered Sister Maria's wrist to deflect the paladin's strike.
In the warlord's final clash, death-time insight had taught me deflection. Few chances to test it—this was perfect.
"Maria, relax."
Embrace.
Maria's face burned crimson, eyes glazed as she replied.
"Yesss......"