Chapter 129
Chapter 129
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Oath Beneath the Golden Light
-----------------------------------------------------------------
***
As the sun set.
The sky was dyed in golden sunset hues.
The sanctuary shone intensely with golden light pouring down through the pillar of light.
The sanctuary, now a scene of utter chaos, was packed with priests, while those who couldn't enter stood guard sternly outside the building.
Aria, standing beneath the pillar of light, exuded a sacred and reverent aura that evoked the image of a saintess descended from the heavens.
She looked at Arthur and the Devil Squad, then clasped her hands together and bowed her head politely.
“I will never forget this grace.”
With her words, the priests also bowed their waists to express their gratitude.
Then Aria knelt on one knee.
“I wish to serve the great hero Arthur and carry out Lady Karen’s will. Please accept us.”
At that, the priests knelt on one knee in unison.
Arthur regarded them calmly and replied.
“I only seek to create the world I desire. If that suits you, I won’t oppose you following me.”
“Could you tell us what kind of world you envision?”
Arthur pondered her question for a moment.
He had only occasionally told Millerph from the ramparts that he wanted to protect the children’s smiles and their sight, but he had never seriously contemplated what life he truly desired.
‘The world I want...’
Arthur’s expression grew serious.
In contrast, Aria and the priests wore faces full of eager anticipation.
‘What will he say?’
‘Unification of the Empire?’
‘Maybe he plans to use the saintess for his own gain.’
‘He might even aim to seize the Anscent Kingdom.’
Everyone harbored their own thoughts inwardly as they awaited Arthur’s answer.
After a moment.
Arthur spoke calmly.
“A world where the smiles never fade from children’s faces. A world where anyone, anywhere, can live aspiring to that. That is my goal. If you hoped for something grander, you might be disappointed.”
“......”
Silence fell at the unexpected response.
The Devil Squad found the modest answer mismatched with his pursuit of absolute strength, their faces showing puzzlement.
But Millerph, who knew well what kind of life Arthur desired, smiled warmly.
Aria and the priests also smiled, satisfied with the answer.
Smiling faintly, Aria said.
“We will do our utmost to help make the Count’s will a reality.”
Arthur nodded and replied.
“I, Arthur Julius, will ensure you have no cause for regret.”
Chung-!
The priests inside and outside the sanctuary shouted their oaths of loyalty to Arthur, their voices resounding to the heavens.
At the same time, the golden light shining down through the pillar made Arthur gleam even brighter.
The cloth draped over his head slipped down.
His hidden black hair cascaded down, fluttering in the air like it was caught in the wind, shining brilliantly.
Bathed in golden light, his figure evoked the majesty of a legendary hero.
Then, a pure white, holy light appeared above his head.
And Nigras revealed himself.
Aria’s eyes widened the moment she saw him.
“N-No way...”
Nigras looked at Aria and asked in a reverent voice.
-Are you Lady Karen’s proxy?
“It is an honor to meet such a great being. I am Aria, who has inherited Lady Karen’s will.”
Aria answered as politely as she could.
-I am Nigras, the being who rules over light.
“Ah!”
Aria let out an involuntary exclamation.
At the same time, the priests’ eyes widened, their mouths agape.
Nigras!
The great spirit of light and nature spirit Nigras was the one the saintess always prayed to alongside Lady Karen.
‘Finally, the saintess’s prayers...’
Contracting with Nigras would grant immense power, and the Anscent Kingdom could reclaim its former glory.
A hundred years ago, when facing the Demon King with Teheran, the saintess had contracted with Nigras and displayed extraordinary abilities.
At that time, the Anscent Kingdom’s prestige rivaled that of the Empire.
Priest outposts were established in every empire, easily spreading Lady Karen’s will.
With the great spirit of light appearing now, just like a hundred years ago, restoring the kingdom was only a matter of time.
Everyone listened intently to the conversation between Nigras and Aria with expectant faces.
-You must know it too. How the saintess of a hundred years ago fought the Demon King with me, and how the Demon King did not die but was resurrected.
“I know.”
-I have appeared before you again to defeat the Demon King. But this time, I will not choose you.
“......!”
Aria’s eyes wavered in that instant.
The priests also looked stunned by his words.
Nigras met Aria’s gaze and continued.
-The Demon King was stronger than imagined. The saintess’s power was insufficient to draw out all of my strength. Thus, this time, I have chosen the one who inherits Teheran’s true legacy. I believe he can wield all my power.
“I will abide by Lord Nigras’s wise decision.”
-Do not harbor any misunderstandings.
“We will join Arthur Julius in creating the world he desires. We harbor no other intentions.”
-I know. But I say this because no one knows better than I how treacherous the human heart can be. Even saintesses and priests cannot escape the bounds of humanity.
“I will keep that in mind.”
Aria bowed her head quietly.
Nigras nodded and looked at her and the bowed priests.
Then, spreading both arms toward them, he said.
-This is my response to the prayers of the saintess you serve.
As soon as he spoke, the sanctuary lit up as if flooded with radiance.
Warm energy flowed from the light, enveloping everyone.
The seals on their latent abilities were released, awakening them.
Nigras said one final thing to Aria.
-The saintess’s power lies in faith. The more they trust you, the greater your power will become. Remember that the fate of the Holy Kingdom rests in your hands. I hope you defeat the Demon King and bring peace to the world.
“Ah......”
Aria’s face showed realization.
With those words, Nigras vanished.
Arthur silently surveyed the priests. He could feel they had grown far stronger than before receiving the blessing.
He could also tell the Devil Squad, who had received the blessing alongside them, had advanced a step further.
It was then he thought he should later ask for a blessing over the entire Death Knight Order.
Nigras’s voice echoed in his mind.
-My task is complete.
‘You’ve done well. How do I use your power from now on?’
-Summon Teheran’s power, and mine will come with it. However, the range of my power you can use is limited by your own abilities.
‘Then tell me how strong I need to become to draw out all your power.’
-How presumptuous. Do you think a mere human can wield all my power?
‘Then, against the Demon King a hundred years ago, how much of your power did you use?’
-Only half.
‘Because the contractor was the saintess?’
-Nature spirits manifest their power according to the contractor’s abilities. The skills activated also differ based on the contractor’s nature.
‘Understood. Rest until I call you again.’
Finishing his conversation with Nigras, Arthur looked at Aria.
The look in her eyes as she gazed at him was markedly different from before.
Deeper, perhaps?
He could sense she had gained great insight.
“You seem different.”
“Thanks to you, Count, I’ve gained profound realization.”
“Honestly, all I did was answer that guy’s questions. Thank him.”
“It was possible only because you summoned him into the real world.”
“From what I heard of your conversation, it seems he was originally meant to contract with you.”
“It’s fine. The world you seek to create is what we desire too. Please, make that world come to pass.”
Arthur nodded and looked at the priests.
Their faces showed anticipation, earnestness, and resolve for the future.
It was while exchanging glances with them.
“Enemies!”
“......!”
Arthur’s eyes flashed.
“They’re approaching at ferocious speed on monsters!”
“Monsters?”
The priests were startled.
The Anscent Kingdom, surrounded by empires or the sea due to its terrain, rarely suffered monster invasions.
Tension rippled at the sudden monster appearance.
As Arthur turned to Dark, about to signal with his eyes, Parsia’s voice rang out.
-It’s the Britannikers and the knights.
“Why are they here?”
Arthur hurriedly ran toward the entrance.
Emerging outside, he spotted Hellot and the knight order in the distance. Khan was also racing over, leading the Devil Squad’s horses.
“What’s going on?”
Arthur looked baffled.
Millerph and the Devil Squad, following behind, broke into broad smiles upon seeing the familiar faces.
Their lips curled up further at the sight of their beloved mounts arriving too.
“Those guys are here too!”
“What happened? By the plan, you should be arriving at Norshey Territory around now?”
Joy was fleeting; everyone’s faces hardened.
An ominous premonition arose—perhaps trouble had struck during the march, forcing them here.
A moment later.
Hellot and the knight order arrived before the Scollas Sanctuary, dismounted their Britannikers, and ran to Arthur.
They placed fists over their left chests and bowed sharply.
“Sin Hellot, leading the Assault Squad, reporting.”
“Explain.”
At Arthur’s stern question, Hellot immediately clarified.
While en route to Norshey Territory, they received word from informants of a force resembling the Namshar Empire’s extermination squad spotted in the Anscent Kingdom.
Thus, Skevin had urgently dispatched the Assault Squad.
“Hmm......”
Dark circles shadowed their eyes, and even Khan—whom they’d never seen exhausted—along with all the Britannikers panted heavily without catching their breath.
It was understandable; they had traversed a week-long land journey in just three days.
“You’ve done well.”
Arthur clapped Hellot’s shoulder in encouragement, then glanced at Millerph.
Millerph smiled gently and extended his staff forward.
He softly chanted in Rune tongue.
Recovery magic enveloped the gathered knight order.
It was the group recovery spell ‘Great Heal’.
Unlike before, an extraordinarily powerful light poured down.
The knights, their stamina restored in an instant, smiled and expressed thanks to Millerph.
Millerph then approached Khan, stroked his face, and said.
“Could you ask everyone to gather close?”
At his words, Khan let out a low cry, and the Britannikers approached.
Millerph cast Great Heal again, restoring their stamina.
The watching priests’ eyes widened.
“I’ve never seen a heal on this scale.”
“Who is he?”
“At least a 5th Class mage.”
They were shocked that the hitherto unassuming Millerph was a high-rank mage.
And doubly surprised at how effortlessly he cast 5th Class magic, piquing their curiosity.
‘It’s completely gone.’
A bright smile spread across Millerph’s face.
Even after chaining major spells, no mana backlash occurred.
Moreover, the power was at least double what it used to be.
In 6th Class, one cast would drain his stamina sharply, but nothing of the sort now.
He had personally felt the greatness of the 7th Class he had only anticipated.
“Recovered.”
At Arthur’s words, Millerph turned and bowed politely.
Arthur spoke as if peering into his mind.
“Don’t think of it as a favor. I only did what was necessary.”
Khan, who had been staring only at Arthur, met his eyes and immediately sidled up, rubbing his cheek against him.
Then he bent his front legs, lowering his stance.
Arthur grinned and mounted Khan.
He then asked Aria, who had come out of the sanctuary with the Seven Priests.
“Are you prepared to follow?”
Confirming they were the Julius Count Family’s knights and their mounts, Aria clasped her hands before her chest and replied.
“We are ready to join you.”
“Good. Everyone, prepare to depart!”
At Arthur’s command, the Devil Squad and Assault Squad swiftly mounted up.
The priests also prepared to follow immediately.
Arthur scanned them once, then shouted resolutely.
“For the golden glory!”
For the golden glory!
Their cheers echoed around them.
Arthur led the fired-up group and marched toward Anscent Castle.