Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: For the New Kingdom (2)
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While Maru and Necros were deep in their meeting, Liana, the vice-captain of the Holy Knights, was also moving busily.
"S-Spare me!"
A noble stumbled out of a massive mansion. He was running half-dressed, clothes in disarray.
One might expect a noble to value his honor, but Baron Traken was too busy fleeing for his life.
A few soldiers trailed behind the baron, running for their lives as well.
Seeing the noble and soldiers fleeing, a Holy Knight spoke up.
"Vice-Captain, should we really let them escape like this?"
The Holy Knight's name was Benric.
He was Liana's direct subordinate.
At Benric's words, Liana glanced at the noble's retreating figure in the distance.
"Just let him go. He won't last long anyway."
Liana replied nonchalantly.
The area around her was a scene straight out of hell.
Surrounding buildings were engulfed in flames and collapsing, blood-soaked corpses scattered across the streets.
The roads were already teeming with skeletons.
In a situation like this, how far could that noble possibly run?
Liana dismissed the fleeing noble from her mind.
"What about the remaining family and servants?"
Inside the mansion, the servants and the baron's family were trembling in terror, but Liana remained resolute.
"Let them be this time too."
Skeleton monsters had appeared inside the noble's mansion.
Normally, they should capture the residents for questioning, but the kingdom's situation was at its worst.
With the limited number of Holy Knights, dragging prisoners around would be madness.
For now, they had to cut their losses cleanly.
"We've already searched the baron's mansion. Moving to the next one!"
The Holy Knights assembled at Liana's command.
Their current mission was to investigate the nobles' mansions in the capital.
There was no asking for permission. It was more like a raid.
They had the authority to investigate the nobles.
The delegation from the Church had come to the Sail Kingdom for that very purpose.
Priests and Holy Knights en route to the Sail Kingdom had gone missing one after another. In response, the Church leadership dispatched a delegation to investigate.
Liana's investigations were entirely justified.
It was possible only because of the Church's immense power.
"......"
Liana scanned the mansion of the recently fleeing Baron Traken.
There was nothing left to see here.
'To think even here...'
But her mood soured.
They had found skeletons in the noble mansion they just searched.
If it had been mere discovery, it might have been different, but the skeletons were disguised as knights. Infiltration fit better.
Not just Baron Traken, but most of the nobles' mansions they'd checked before had yielded skeletons disguised as knights.
"Everything the Messenger of the Goddess said was true."
Just as Benric said.
It was all exactly as he had foretold.
He must have anticipated this and given them their mission.
Liana had infiltrated the kingdom days before the Church delegation.
During the investigation, she encountered a new fateful opportunity.
The Messenger of the Goddess, Maru.
His form was that of a skeleton. Yet he wielded holy power. No ordinary undead monster could do that.
It was truly a miraculous sight. Liana and her subordinates had witnessed it.
Such a miracle was impossible without being the Goddess's Messenger.
Liana revered the Messenger of the Goddess.
She didn't know why he had descended to the earth, but it must all be the Goddess's will.
At that time, Liana and the Holy Knights who saw the miracle pledged their loyalty to the Messenger, Maru.
To act only for the Goddess, only for Her proxy, Maru.
And one mission was given to Liana.
- Investigate the nobles of the Sail Kingdom.
Liana and the Holy Knights had been carrying out the mission given by Maru.
"Indeed. Lord Maru foresaw this first. To dare commit such acts! They're deceiving the Church!"
This voice belonged to Eric.
Eric, too, cried out in fury as a Holy Knight.
Eric was the only Holy Knight who could understand and relay Maru's words. Relaying the words of the Goddess's Messenger Maru was akin to conveying the Goddess's own decree.
Thus, Liana listened intently to Eric.
"From these events alone, it seems like a trap set by the kingdom's nobles to check the royal family."
Eric cautiously conveyed his opinion, gauging Liana's reaction.
Of course, it wasn't truly his opinion.
Eric's true nature was a Banshee controlling the Holy Knight.
She was merely carrying out Celia's orders to the letter.
Above all, the Banshee controlling Eric could stand boldly before Vice-Captain Liana thanks to their great master's enhancements.
Possessing holy power herself, Liana suspected nothing about Eric.
Instead, she nodded at Eric's words.
They certainly made sense.
But even she couldn't fully grasp how the situation was unfolding.
"It's certainly a strong possibility. For now, let's think broadly."
Liana acknowledged it, though a nagging doubt lingered.
There were many questions about the events in the kingdom.
Why were skeletons disguised as knights in the nobles' mansions?
That was the root cause.
Not only that, but the streets were filled with skeletons.
'Is it really the nobles' doing, as Sir Eric says?'
Perhaps they plotted a rebellion using monsters, but it was exposed.
The circumstances pointed that way strongly.
Skeletons had been found in the nobles' mansions.
Otherwise, why hide them disguised as knights?
But that raised another question.
'Did they really think they wouldn't get caught?'
With the Church delegation arriving openly, summoning monsters blatantly?
The nobles had protested their innocence, though they weren't fully heard. Once the kingdom stabilized, they'd investigate further.
'...And the kingdom falls this easily to monsters?'
The street she was on was the capital of the Sail Kingdom—the city with the royal palace.
It was strange that the king's own city was breached so easily.
Though she didn't want to believe it, one recent event came to mind.
The sky being swallowed by darkness.
And the red stars that appeared—it was surely the omen of a 7-star birth.
'If that calamity is real...'
If that 7-star entity had manifested in the Sail Kingdom?
Liana closed her eyes.
Her mind grew complicated.
It was the worst assumption for her.
If a 7-star monster had truly appeared in the Sail Kingdom, it explained everything.
'I wish it were just a simple monster wave...'
A monster wave, endlessly pouring from dungeons.
The Sail Kingdom bordered mountains, so a wave wasn't impossible.
But this was different.
It felt too suspicious for a normal wave.
After sorting her thoughts briefly, Liana decided on their next destination.
"Let's head to the priest and captain first! We'll regroup and plan from there!"
Sticking together seemed safer than scattering now.
So they needed to link up with Priest Titan and Captain Gerard.
If a 7-star monster was indeed in the Sail Kingdom as she suspected, it would be a tough fight.
But she didn't abandon hope.
'That was hundreds of years ago, after all.'
Things were different back then. The Church was stronger now.
The Holy Knights of the past paled in power compared to the Church's current ones.
So she believed they could hold their own even against a 7-star monster.
Liana led her Holy Knights onward.
Since Priest Titan and Captain Gerard were at Earl Beerton's mansion, the destination was set.
'Please, everyone be safe...'
A sudden worry gripped her.
But Priest Titan and Captain Gerard's skills were top-tier.
So she trusted them.
"Everyone, move quickly!"
The surrounding streets had already been encircled by skeletons.
"Clack clack!"
"Clack! Clack!"
Eerie bone rattles echoed.
"In the name of the Goddess, I shall judge these filthy monsters!"
Liana cried out, sword in hand.
Holy light burst from her blade, shattering skeletons to pieces.
Dozens vanished without a trace in a single strike.
Following Liana's attack, the Holy Knights charged the skeleton horde.
Liana and the Holy Knights advanced, pushing back the surging skeletons with holy power.
The battle itself overwhelmingly favored the Holy Knights.
Skeletons, as undead monsters, were the natural enemy of the Church.
Moreover, they were 1-star lowest-grade skeletons.
It was a one-sided slaughter.
But as the fight dragged on, the Holy Knights' situation worsened.
They reduced the numbers, but even more skeletons poured in to replace them.
Even now, skeletons emerged from every alley.
No matter the advantage or quality, sheer numbers overwhelmed them.
The endless waves wore down even the Holy Knights.
"Vice-Captain, something's off! There are too many monsters!"
Benric shouted while swinging his sword.
Liana frowned at his words.
No matter how many skeletons they killed, the numbers didn't dwindle. They were growing, unnaturally.
This was far too many.
'There must be an Arch-Lich nearby.'
An Arch-Lich could generate infinite skeletons as long as there were corpses.
With the possibility of a 7-star monster already in the kingdom, a 5-star one appearing made it dire.
'Surely no 6-star...'
If so, it would be true catastrophe.
Hoping it wouldn't come to that, Liana pressed on.
Baron Traken ran desperately, gripped by terror.
Dashing through dark, narrow alleys, the surroundings suddenly grew quiet.
Fortunately, no damned skeletons were in sight.
"Th-There! Hide in that building!"
A intact building untouched by fire entered the baron's view.
Traken shouted to the soldiers following him and ran.
Hiding inside would end this nightmare.
The baron and soldiers rushed into the building.
"Quick, barricade the door!"
They used nearby objects to seal the entrance.
Only then did the baron relax.
"Phew. That was close. What the hell were those things?"
Baron Traken had fled from the Holy Knights.
He didn't know why skeletons were in his mansion.
But getting caught would surely brand him a heretic, so he ran.
He hadn't thought ahead.
He just ran, believing escape would sort things out.
Fleeing toward the capital's outskirts, no skeletons appeared here.
Truly fortunate.
"If we survive here, we're good! Everyone, stay sharp!"
The baron shouted to the soldiers.
A knight who could use aura would have been ideal, but he was grateful for these soldiers now.
Calmed, he surveyed the building interior.
"Huh?"
A stone statue stood in the center.
"What's that?"
It was a grotesque statue of a winged demon.
The baron slowly approached with his soldiers.
Then, someone emerged from behind the statue.
"Wh-Who are you!"
It was too dark to see clearly.
But the figure looked human.
"Please don't be startled. I am a dhampir."
It was a man's voice.
"Dhampir?"
No hostility apparent, thankfully.
The baron relaxed and addressed him.
"I am Baron Traken. Things are chaotic outside, so I'll impose briefly."
He revealed his status.
This seemed a safe haven.
He planned to stay until things calmed, so he took the initiative.
The thought of being evicted as a noble never crossed his mind.
But the man's words differed.
"This is troublesome."
Troublesome? What?
Evicting a noble?
"I await here per my master's orders who took me in. And no humans are allowed here now."
Master? Humans?
What did that mean?
The baron caught one thing.
"Master? Who is the lord you serve? A noble?"
But the man ignored him.
"Troublesome. Lord Necros planned to drive humans toward the princess... I'll ask what to do. Wait a moment."
The man muttered nonsense.
Only then did Baron Traken sense something off.
As the man continued muttering, a soldier approached the baron.
"...Baron?"
The soldier whispered.
"Dhampir probably isn't a name..."
"Not a name? What do you mean?"
The baron listened.
"Dhampir refers to a half-breed between vampire and human."
The baron scowled at the soldier's words.
He'd never heard the term.
"Are you joking in this situation?"
"No! It's true. Dhampirs are so rare you might not know—"
But the soldier's words were cut short.
"Ah, the reply's here. According to the message through the shadows..."
The man placed a hand on the statue.
"Kill humans acting outside the plan."
Then, red light flashed from the stone statue's eyes.
"Arghhh!"
It happened in an instant.
The statue moved, biting a soldier's throat before anyone blinked.
"How?!"
The statue had closed in and bitten the soldier. More shockingly, it moved freely.
Startled, the baron fell back.
Blood spurted from the soldier's neck in a gruesome display.
To survive, anything went.
"It's just that one! Break through it and we escape!"
Terror-stricken, Baron Traken shoved a soldier forward.
The soldiers reluctantly advanced with weapons toward the man.
If the soldier was right, the man wasn't human.
At least he was alone.
They might take him down.
The soldiers crept forward, weapons raised.
"Gah!"
This time, Baron Traken screamed.
Something bit his leg.
Looking down, a small creature writhed.
A snake.
With three heads.
Before he could think, agony surged up his leg.
Like his leg melting.
"Ah, that's the hydra our master took in. Fortunately not full-grown, so you won't die."
The hydra bit the other soldiers' legs too.
All they could do was scream on the floor.
"Sp-Spare me! Please!"
The baron begged pathetically.
But the man ignored him.
"Lord Gargoyle, I have no weapon, so handle the rest. Lady Celia's orders: leave nothing that disrupts the plan."
A bloodbath engulfed the building interior.
The occupants were torn beyond recognition.
Blood pooled, staining the floor crimson.
The gargoyle that shredded the humans lumbered back to position, resuming its statue pose.
As if nothing happened.
Blood smeared its mouth thickly.
"I'll eat the rest."
Finally, the dhampir licked his lips and moved.
Silence blanketed the building once more.
"Hehe, that's the way to the palace!"
Earl Beerton walked the streets, pickaxe in hand. Behind him followed the Death Knight King.
Skeletons filled the surroundings, but ignored the earl.
They passed as if he weren't there.
'Y-Yes!'
The earl exulted inwardly.
'Pledging loyalty to the monster was the right call!'
Probably because he pledged loyalty, the surrounding monsters didn't attack.
Beerton thought so as he headed toward the palace.
He didn't know why streets brimmed with skeletons.
But this was all opportunity.
'Just storm the palace like this!'
Borrowing the monster's power behind him, anything was possible.
Becoming king was no longer a pipe dream.
The earl dreamed of a brilliant future.
'Hahaha. With that monster's power, I can rule the entire continent!'
He was certain he could seize this kingdom and all continental nations.
Earl Beerton strode confidently ahead.
How long had they walked?
A group approached from afar.
"Those... Holy Knights?"
Earl Beerton reacted first.
At the group's forefront was a familiar face.
"Could it be Vice-Captain Liana!"
The earl spread his arms wide with a sleazy grin.
His eyes met those of Liana and her Holy Knights.
Liana confirmed it was Earl Beerton and immediately drew her sword.
A question arose simultaneously.
Why was Earl Beerton here?
'Wasn't he with the priest!'
More disturbing was the dark presence behind him.
"What in the world have you done, Earl?"
A slight tremor entered Liana's voice.
The bizarre power emanating from the being behind the earl made her shiver.
"Hahaha. This one will make me king!"
The earl laughed maniacally at her question.
"Kyahahaha!"
His mad cackle chilled Liana's spine.
"You've lost your mind completely, Earl."
She commanded warily, scanning surroundings.
"Everyone, gather your light! The earl's not in his right mind! Be especially cautious of the monster behind him!"
Her instincts screamed danger.
Liana swiftly enveloped herself in holy power.
The Holy Knights aimed their weapons in unison.
But seeing the figure behind the earl, terror gripped them.
It was like darkness condensed into form. Grotesque and eerie.
"Earl! Have you made a pact with a demon?!"
Liana shouted in rage. But the earl only laughed.
"Ha! A pact? This is my new master and god!"
The earl pointed at the monster.
"Come, my god! Slay these filthy Holy Knights with your power!"
At that moment, red glow flashed in the monster's eyes.
Liana sensed danger and yelled at her subordinates.
"Everyone, fall back! That's no foe we can face!"
The Holy Knights scrambled rearward, but too late.
A massive shadow shot from the darkness, engulfing the Holy Knights.
Miserable screams rang out, blood staining the air.
"N-No...!"
Liana staggered back.
The monster butchered her subordinates like chaff.
"What is this...?"
Trembling, Liana raised her sword high.
But fear consumed her mind.
Her sword slipped from numb fingers.
"Ah... Goddess..."
This meant death.
She sensed it.
Now she understood.
That being was the 7-star calamity.
The calamity had appeared in the Sail Kingdom.
Priest Titan and Captain Gerard must have met their end to it too.
As Liana squeezed her eyes shut.
"Stop! Spawn of the devil!"
Another presence arrived.
Princess Irena, leading her knights.
The Death Knight King followed Earl Beerton without thought.
"Hehe, that's the way to the palace!"
He'd been ordered to stay quiet, so he concealed his power as much as possible.
If his identity was discovered, he'd eliminate witnesses per Chief Administrator Celia's command.
But he spared Earl Beerton.
The reason was simple.
The plan included certain humans not to kill, and Beerton was one.
Since it came to this, the Death Knight King handed Beerton a pickaxe.
Just a pickaxe, yet Beerton grinned like he'd received a treasure.
"......"
So thrilled over a pickaxe.
That earl was surely suited for serious construction work.
The Death Knight King grew fond of him.
Originally, he should have stayed put at the earl's mansion.
But with Beerton like this, he had to follow.
Planning to take Beerton to the dungeon post-mission, he stuck close to avoid losing him.
Then.
"Could it be Vice-Captain Liana?"
"...What in the world have you done, Earl?"
A new group appeared ahead.
Church Holy Knights.
The problem: a no-kill human among them.
- Liana Vice-Captain.
The Death Knight King pondered.
Priority-wise, Liana outranked Beerton.
But lose Beerton, with his evident construction talent?
Unacceptable loss.
Beerton was to survive and succeed him.
"Come, my god! Slay these filthy Holy Knights with your power!"
Construction-talented Beerton made his request.
"......"
The Death Knight King's deliberation was brief.
Just kill the other Holy Knights?
With the thought, he surged forward.
Tearing into the rearmost Holy Knights.
Too many would disrupt the plan, so he'd cull moderately and withdraw.
And finally.
"Ah... Goddess..."
Vice-Captain Liana lost her will to fight.
Job done, the Death Knight King prepared to leave.
"Stop! Spawn of the devil!"
A new interloper appeared.
Princess Irena.
Key figure in the plan.
"......"
What was this?
The sudden turn flustered the Death Knight King.
And then.
Necros appeared from behind.
Necros nodded at the Death Knight King.
Then jotted in his notebook.
- Death Knight King, why here?
Per original plan, he shouldn't be here.
Even Maru beside Princess Irena tilted his head.
Necros quickly tore the page and handed it to a shadow behind.
The shadow vanished with the note.
But soon returned, passing another note to Necros.
It bore Celia's orders.
- Plan change. Have Death Knight King show max power and play dead. Use this plan to make Irena queen and saintess.
Since it came to this, Celia planned to leverage Irena for Church connections too.