65. Reward

Sacred Relics.

There were said to be seven Sacred Relics in total.

The Sword of Humility, Humble.

The Greatsword of Charity, Nuh.

The Bow of Kindness, Kandra.

The Shield of Patience, Piant.

The Armor of Chastity, Serla.

The Stigmata of Temperance, Sacred.

The Staff of Diligence, Induce.

Of those, the Greatsword of Charity, Nuh, was said to have been shattered in the distant past, in ancient times before any records remained, by an unidentified Outer God that descended upon the world.

Humble and Sacred were held by Paulo and Luna respectively.

The remaining four Sacred Relics were all said to be kept in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Holy Kingdom.

That was, in fact, true.

Because when I flipped the Holy Kingdom upside down once, 400 years ago, I saw the four Sacred Relics wrapped in radiant light.

In the process, I did hear about the history of the Sacred Relics and such, but there was no need to remember it, so I threw it all away.

I just roughly remembered that they were tough as hell, strong, and sharp weapons, and what remained clearly in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my head were the characteristics of the Sacred Relics.

Sacred Relics had consciousness. In other words, they possessed intelligence. They could converse like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠people and sometimes even offer advice—they were somewhat complex, subtle beings.

And they chose their own masters.

It's fucking hilarious that Paulo, who was arrogant as hell, was chosen by Humility, and Luna, who was greedy as hell, was chosen by Temperance, but anyway, that's how it is.

Lastly.

When their master died, they returned to their original place.

Meaning they returned to the Holy Kingdom.

So I asked Fabiana.

"Do you know the whereabouts of the Sacred Relics Humble and Sacred?"

According to Sparkle, Arisa was the only one who returned from Ge Vihenum.

Without Paulo and Luna, alone.

But according to the World Tree lady, when the Demon King was sealed, everyone except me was gathered in one place.

Then where the hell are Paulo and Luna, and what are they doing?

We were strong back then. Strong enough that even the remaining three Legion Commanders avoided fighting us.

There's no way bastards like that died on a mere trip home.

But... I can't figure out why they weren't together. Moreover, this is clearly information that can't be found even if one entered the Forbidden Archive.

The Empire's Forbidden Archive is a repository of information related to the Empire—information that absolutely must be buried. So there would clearly be no information about the Sacred Relics, that is, about the Holy Kingdom.

But that doesn't mean it's completely impossible to find out.

Someone with the power of Fabiana, right in front of me, might just know.

And that thought of mine was correct.

"I know."

Fabiana, who had been trying to read the intent behind my question, asked with deliberate caution.

"However, the answer to this question is extremely weighty. No, that's not right. You already know. The exchange between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom... you already know about it. Don't you?"

"...Yes, well."

They probably couldn't undo what we had forcibly established 400 years ago.

Kaloso's magic and Luna's Holy Power.

And it was a contract steeped in the power of the two Sacred Relics.

Simply put, it was a peace treaty.

A contract that, whether war broke out among humans or war broke out among Demons, the Empire and the Holy Kingdom would 'unconditionally' join hands and act together.

Various conditions were attached in the process, but I didn't bother remembering those.

I only remembered that it was a contract inherited through blood.

"I won’t ask... about your source. I am a magnanimous Imperial Princess—and your senior, after all."

"...Heh, yes. Thank you."

"Right. As for the answer to that question..."

Fabiana, who had been tapping the table, answered with a voice that carried a bit of force.

"Humble and Sacred did not return."

At the same time, my fist clenched tight.

"Instead, other things returned."

"Other things?"

"The Hero. Arisa Eustetia's numerous armaments."

That was information I already knew.

But there was one part I didn't know.

"Where are they?"

I didn't know where my weapons were.

They couldn't be found in my father's study, nor in the library, nor anywhere else.

"I don't know that either. And what I don't know can be considered unknown to the Imperial Family as well."

"...Are you saying... Arisa... hid them?"

"That's what I have to assume. That couldn't be found in the Forbidden Archive either."

"What about Arisa's whereabouts?"

"Only a rumor remains that she vanished along with all those weapons."

"Vanished..."

I let out a sigh and sank into the sofa.

Paulo and Luna hadn't died.

But I had no idea where they were.

And Arisa, who had gone to the trouble of bringing all those weapons, had disappeared.

The Empire couldn't find her either.

What about the Holy Kingdom? That's... well.

There's no way the Holy Kingdom would know what even the Empire doesn't.

"However, regarding what Arisa Eustetia did before she vanished, a little information does remain."

At those words, I raised my head and looked at Fabiana.

But Fabiana wore an enigmatic smile and raised her index finger.

"But this time, it's my turn to ask a question."

I thought she'd ask why I was curious about that.

It seems she has no intention of asking the reason.

Really... no matter how you look at her, she's a bold Imperial Princess.

"...Yes. Go ahead."

Following her lead, I readily nodded as well.

"Then I'll ask. Eliarnes. Until you entered the Labyrinth, you were at Tier 4. But the moment you encountered a Demon, you rose to Tier 5. What kind of magic did you use?"

"...Are you seriously asking me that?"

"I am seriously asking you this."

At Fabiana's serious gaze, I deflated a little.

"Right now, I... intend to answer truthfully no matter what Your Highness asks."

"That's a very kind thing to say."

"But, of all things... you're asking me that?"

"Yes. Right now, this is what I'm most curious about. And to me, it's not 'of all things'—it's a matter of great importance."

Fabiana, pointing at herself with her raised index finger, chuckled.

"It's embarrassing, but I'm currently stuck at Tier 6. I haven't even felt the wall to reach Tier 7, and I can't see the path."

"At Your Highness's current age, isn't Tier 6 the mark of an unprecedented genius?"

"Correct. I am a genius. But I'm merely a genius. I can't become one of the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Six Pillars of the Empire, or a monster like you. And I must not. I have to become stronger than I am now."

"Your Highness didn't ask my reason, but I'd like to ask. Why do you want to become stronger?"

"I didn't ask your reason, so I won't answer."

For an instant, the composure and arrogance that were always on Fabiana's face vanished, but they returned just as quickly.

"So, your answer?"

I stared at Fabiana for a moment, then shrugged and spoke.

"I'll tell you, but even if you hear it... you won't be able to follow it."

"That's an extremely arrogant remark, and one that disregards me, an Imperial Princess. But precisely because of that, I like it even more. Tell me."

"You just tear open your Dantian and widen it."

"...That's an extremely... profound thing to say."

"There's nothing profound about it. I mean it literally."

I picked up the teapot beside me and poured tea into the empty cup in front of me.

"Think of the teacup as the Dantian, and this tea as Mana. Right now, being full like this is the normal state."

And a moment later, I poured more tea over the already-full cup. The pale pink tea overflowed and began soaking the saucer.

"Normally, like this, the Dantian cannot hold more than a fixed amount of Mana. As your Tier rises, the total amount of Mana your Dantian can hold increases, and eventually it surges up and opens the Upper Dantian, making you a Superhuman."

The explanation was quite confusing, but I figured Fabiana would roughly understand, and continued.

"Then think about it in reverse. If the Dantian can't hold the Mana, you just widen it. So, like this."

I held my hand, wreathed in Aura, above the teacup and let the tea trickle into it. The overflowing tea then gathered softly inside my hand.

"You widen it. The method is simple. After sending the Mana inside your Dantian into a rampage, you control the madly thrashing Mana so that the Dantian isn't destroyed—so that it tears little by little and widens—and you control it slowly."

Having finished speaking, I burst the Aura around my hand, scattering the softly gathered liquid mass into the air.

As a result, a faint peach fragrance lingered inside Fabiana's room.

Within that tranquil peach fragrance, Fabiana's eyes trembled.

"So you're saying... you raised your Tier with this method?"

"Yes."

"The moment you... encountered a Demon?"

"I did it as soon as I entered the Labyrinth."

"That was less than a minute."

"...Hm, that's true."

"A Mana rampage, and the resulting expansion of the Dantian..."

Fabiana, who had been lost in thought while stroking her chin as if chewing over what she'd heard, shook her head and clicked her tongue.

"There are many methods of suicide, but this is yet another new one."

Then she raised her head and looked straight at me.

"But seeing as you're sitting here chatting with me, it doesn't seem to be an impossible method. It's certainly... a mad act that can't be imitated even if one knows the method. Intentionally causing a Mana rampage and then controlling it—is that even feasible? One wrong move and your Dantian would be ruined—no, your body would just burst and you'd die. How did you accomplish such a mad feat?"

"Well... once you get used to it, it's quick. Though if you recklessly raise your Tier, it might cause problems later, so I just regulate it."

I didn't know the theory behind this stuff well, but there was something I knew from hearing Paulo talk about it.

The balance of mind, energy, and body.

He had said that only when those were roughly aligned could you digest your own abilities, control them, and handle them without issue.

Especially when going from Tier 5 to Tier 6.

That was the part you needed to be most careful about when opening the Upper Dantian.

The stage where you open the Upper Dantian and imbue your Mana with Intent.

If you try to climb to that stage too hastily, you'll hit a wall at Tier 7, let alone Tier 8.

That was only natural, since your foundation was weak.

Therefore, rather than recklessly raising your Tier, it was important to solidify your foundation and climb slowly.

However, this time I had no choice either.

If I couldn't use Aura, I wouldn't have been able to kill that Demon, so I had no choice but to tear my Dantian.

That was why I was sickly and weak at that point.

My mind and energy were roughly balanced, but my body's Realm was lacking.

"Anyway, well... it's not my place to say, but using a method like this will cause serious trouble. So I think it would be best for you to slowly build a solid foundation and climb."

"That's exactly like someone burning highly addictive magic herbs while telling me not to do this. Heh, honestly..."

Fabiana, now seemingly fed up, let out a hollow laugh and closed her eyes gently.

"My earlier prediction turned out to be exactly right. That fact is at least some small consolation."

"About what?"

"Those strange movements you showed during battle. The movements that seemed to thrust vertically, then cut horizontally, and when they seemed to cut horizontally, surged vertically. That too was Mana rampage... no, you were bursting Mana spread through each joint to twist your movements, weren't you?"

"Oh..."

She was right.

As Fabiana said, it was a method of intentionally bursting Mana spread throughout every corner of the body to restrict, twist, and invert the body’s movements.

Every time I did that, the Mana flashed brightly, and I heard the Demons called me the Calamity Star because of it.

Anyway, she was right.

"You were a lunatic who fought with your life on the line even in battle."

"Isn't battle something every being does while putting their life on the line?"

"You know that's not what I mean. Mana explosions. Controlling your movements through them. It's the same mad act as that insane method of raising your Tier you mentioned. If you misjudge the intensity even slightly, your limbs would clearly twist and you'd die, yet you pull it off as if it's nothing... it's gone from wondrous to outright grotesque."

"...Geniuses are all like that."

I could say it casually now, but.

I knew it was insane.

But I had no choice.

I had to open the path for Paulo.

I had to keep up with Arisa's movements.

I had to protect Luna as she prepared her miracle.

I had to buy time until Kaloso's grand magic was complete.

But I lacked talent.

I couldn't handle the sword like Paulo, I didn't have insane physical abilities like the chimpanzee, I couldn't perform miracles like Luna, and I couldn't use magic like Kaloso.

So I truly had to fight while whittling myself to the bone.

In fact, as Fabiana said, in the early days my limbs twisted several times from mistakes.

My Dantian warped, and nearly shattered to pieces.

Without Luna's miracles and the help of Arisa, who had outstanding talent in Mana control, I would have died long ago.

Even so, I had no regrets.

If anything, I was satisfied.

Because thanks to that, I got to slaughter Demons to my heart's content.

"It wasn't the answer I wanted, but it was a satisfying answer nonetheless. Thank you."

Fabiana, who had been lost in thought for a while, sipped her now-cold tea and smiled faintly.

"Now I should answer your question."

What Arisa did before she vanished.

"She is said to have raised a disciple. And in order to receive a ducal title and territory—"

As if holding back laughter, Fabiana's lips trembled.

"—there is a rumor that she inflicted merciless violence upon the then-Emperor, the great Fortinus de Hermann."