Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Wind (1)
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A force numbering nearly a thousand from the marquisate was marching into Mirene Forest.
At the forefront, the Marquis frowned as he beheld the crimson demonic energy erupting in the distance.
Just looking at it sapped his will to fight. He had no desire to draw nearer. His instincts tugged at him, urging him to retreat here and now, warning that nothing could be guaranteed.
"My lord."
The captain of the Mountain Knight Order, riding alongside him, called out to the Marquis with a face full of concern.
As the Marquis's direct knights, their role was to prioritize his protection above all else.
"It's too dangerous to proceed further."
The knight captain tried to dissuade him.
He himself was struggling to shake off the terror of the demonic energy.
The innate 'contempt for the weak' possessed by demons was that terrifying.
Especially since it grew stronger the weaker the target, it was lethal for soldiers on the brink of battle.
"Many of the troops are in poor condition."
The Bell Marquis turned to look behind him.
The soldiers were moving only because orders compelled them, their faces uniformly grim.
The knights were no different.
The only ones holding steady were the Pier Knight Order, directly under Count Welton.
As the Welton family's proudest martial force, they were resisting the horrific demonic aura to some degree.
Even so, they weren't completely immune.
'Even them...'
Should he turn back now?
But Jamie was presumed to be inside.
He couldn't let his grandson meet a meaningless end.
Regardless of his talents, the boy had a bright future ahead. Moreover, it was the Marquis himself who had summoned them.
Turning back now would leave him too ashamed to face his son-in-law.
"Where is Sir Sable, anyway...?"
"Don't speak of him."
"Pardon?"
The knight captain fell silent upon seeing the Marquis's face darken abruptly.
Could it be that he'd been exiled from the territory for bearing responsibility for the [Demon] incident?
'If so, there's nothing to say.'
Now that a demon had appeared, Sable was a criminal.
Had he not been so close to the Marquis, his head would have rolled without question.
But casting him out in this situation was unwise.
'Sir Sable's skill matches my own.'
Perhaps even surpassed it.
Removing such a man from this crucial battle was a grave mistake by the Marquis.
But the knight captain asked nothing more.
It was his lord's command, so he would obey.
At that moment, a scout who had gone ahead into the forest came galloping back.
The knight captain mounted up and approached him.
"You've surveyed the situation?"
Even as he asked, he doubted there was much to report.
The crimson pillar soaring beyond the forest told them all they needed to know about the enemy's state.
Having gone the closest, the scout might have additional insights.
But the words from the scout's mouth were entirely unexpected.
"Th-that..."
"What is it?"
"This..."
The scout handed a single letter to the knight captain.
The captain stared at it blankly and asked the scout,
"What is this?"
"It was said to show to the Marquis."
"You're to deliver this to the Marquis without any report, in a situation like this?"
"Well..."
"Hand it over."
At the Bell Marquis's sudden approach, the knight captain hesitated briefly before passing the letter. The Marquis unfolded it and read the contents.
His wrinkled eyes widened round in shock.
The Marquis gazed toward Mirene Forest with a stunned expression.
"What is it?"
"...This fellow was still here?"
"My lord?"
"In preparation for unforeseen events, we stand by here."
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
Ignoring the knight captain, the Marquis reread the letter.
[To the esteemed Marquis.
Let no one enter the forest. It will only lead to pointless deaths. I will handle the demon's head myself.
-Baylor Onyx-]
'What on earth is he thinking?'
The Marquis recalled the organization to which Baylor belonged.
The group that delved into the world's secrets was called 'Frontier'.
He could not fathom what that dangerous ideology of pioneering the world sought.
What was that appearance?
Jamie tilted his head at Vena, who seemed like an entirely different person.
Where had the familiar pink-haired girl gone? In her place stood a red-haired young lady. Yellow butterfly wings adorned her back, and the hammer in her hand was markedly different from the one he knew.
"Master, are you alright?!"
Yet her voice was unmistakably the Vena he knew.
Vena flapped her butterfly wings and approached Jamie. Her eyes gleamed ruby red.
"You've awakened the Valkyrie's power?"
The butterfly wings on her back were a hallmark feature of Valkyries. But he'd never heard of hair color changing too.
"I think that's probably it."
If it was, it was—why the 'probably'?
Jamie scanned her up and down, then eyed the hammer in her hand. Up close, the design was definitely altered.
It had been a plain pink hammer before, but now golden ornaments adorned it.
"Why's the hammer changed too?"
"I'm not sure. A voice spoke in my head, and then it became like this."
"A voice in your head?"
"Yes."
Why say it so casually?
Normally, hearing voices in one's head would be quite serious, wouldn't it?
He wanted to press further, but unfortunately, Reeta rose to his feet.
"Hmmm."
He stared at his own hands while standing still.
Then he lifted his head and shifted his gaze toward Jamie and Vena.
"Not bad power."
He grinned like he'd found a new toy.
His aura turned ferocious.
"Step back."
"What are you doing?"
As Vena moved to block Jamie, he frowned and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her aside.
"Master's exhausted right now. So rest a bit. Until you recover, I'll hold out somehow."
"What?"
"I'm stronger than that guy. So it'll work out somehow."
She didn't say she'd win.
Because Vena knew the opponent outclassed her.
Moreover, a voice inaudible to Jamie provided a cold assessment in her mind.
Even with Valkyrie power awakened, the foe was a demon baron from the demon realm.
The moment she let her guard down, her life would be forfeit.
"I'll be back!"
"Vena!"
Before he could stop her, Vena streaked toward Reeta, leaving a yellow afterimage.
Jamie clenched his fist, watching her back.
The fact that even Vena had to help him bruised his pride.
But on the other hand, he felt relieved.
'She's buying time.'
No matter how long Vena could hold out, Jamie was out of Reeta's sight.
He positioned himself in the clearing and placed his hand on the ground.
'I'll land one solid hit, no matter what.'
Mobilizing every means at his disposal.
The hammer opened, and the embedded blue gem inside emitted light.
Boom!!!
The explosion swept the surrounding area.
Reeta withdrew the demonic energy cloaking his body and eyed the charging Vena.
She came relentlessly.
As if knowing that stopping meant the end, she unleashed a barrage upon him.
"Hyap!"
Slamming the hammer into the ground caused an eruption of earth as if from an explosion, shooting skyward.
His vision was obscured.
The black flames rising from his eyes flickered side to side.
Reeta extended his right hand.
The hammer burst through the dirt mound. He gripped it firmly, but overpowered, his body flew several meters, toppling a few trees.
"Urgh."
"Eiyap!"
Vena leaped high and swung down again, but Reeta dodged effortlessly.
The powerful impact kicked up more dust.
Reeta smirked as the hammer grazed his face.
She still didn't know the voice's true nature, but Vena followed its instructions blindly.
She deemed them far superior to her own inexperience.
Sure enough, demonic energy that had gathered unnoticed from the scattered remnants on the ground spiked up like thorns beneath her feet.
"Oh? Dodged that?"
Having erased his presence and amassed it stealthily, he hadn't expected her to notice.
She was far more entertaining than that little brat earlier.
Which made it all the more regrettable.
Had she been his first opponent instead of whatever that human girl was, he could have warmed up more enjoyably.
"Time to end this."
He had a contract to fulfill.
That was the condition for his descent.
More playtime could come later.
Reeta's aura shifted. To a truly terrifying degree.
'I know.'
Inexperienced as she was, even Vena felt the opponent's mood change drastically.
Her skin was already prickling.
Her desire to fight waned bit by bit. Reeta's rising aura amplified the contempt for the weak.
But she couldn't flee.
She glanced toward Jamie.
'Not ready yet?'
Even fully awakening Valkyrie power, she was still weak.
The opponent was that strong, but bitterness lingered in her mouth.
Vena regripped her hammer.
"Yeah. I have to buy time."
"No choice. I told Master that much."
The voice sighed briefly, then seemed to steel itself.
A faint golden light began flowing from the hammer.
The pink hue faded, revealing pristine white metal.
Vena's eyes widened at its splendor.
"Yeah!"
Vena flapped her wings toward Reeta.
Storm clouds gathered in the sky.
A drizzle fell, and thunder and lightning roared from above.
Pyro Church forces heading to Mirene Forest on horseback came into view.
At the lead was Ras, the top asset of the Upton branch. As a novice among the holy executors, his power couldn't match a demon baron's.
Sable landed before the Upton branch amid the downpour. Most of the forces had departed.
"What if something happens and everyone's gone?"
Of course, they hadn't anticipated such an intrusion.
Even if they had, it wouldn't matter.
The death god come to slay the goddess's apostle was none other than the leader of the Seven Knights.
Who could stop him?
Even if Ras had stayed, his head would roll.
"I suspected, but I didn't think a guest would actually come."
Sable halted.
Someone stood in the empty main hall.
An elderly man with long white beard trailing down.
Sable knew exactly who he was.
"I hadn't expected to meet like this, Sir Sable."
"...You've remained?"
"Someone must guard this place."
Sephira, one of only three archbishops in the Pyro Church, dropped his smile and warned him.
"Leave this place. If you respect the goddess."
"Does that mean I can stay if I don't?"
"Then I'll have to eject you myself."
Sable's lips curled up.
A floral scent filled the hall. Sephira frowned.
"I never knew you harbored such an enormous secret."
"I broke quite a sweat hiding it from you."
"This must be the will of Zenith God."
Sephira let out a small groan upon seeing Sable's fully drawn sword. Ignorant of swords, but as an archbishop, he'd sensed the auras of countless powerhouses.
The power emanating from Sable was, without doubt, equal to—or greater than—the demon's from that distant forest.
"From today, the Pyro Church will lose much and fade away."
"Greed too excessive in the goddess's domain."
"When the apostle's head hits the floor, will you still call it excessive greed?"
"I'll show you starting now."
"Please, enlighten me."
Differing divinities erupted from Sable and Sephira.
The two lights engulfed the Upton branch.
From afar, Riki sensed one of the two flashing divinities fade.
"Archbishop..."
It was unmistakably that of the Pyro goddess.