Chapter 69
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Spirit Beast (3)
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Spirit Beast (3)
"Lightning Blade Body Technique, huh? What a killer name."
The moment I ascended the final step of mastery, the Lesser Dragon Steps transformed into the powerfully named Lightning Blade Body Technique.
Perhaps because it hadn't been newly unlocked but had evolved into a higher-tier technique, the Lightning Blade Body Technique was already at three-star mastery from the start.
Maybe that was why I understood what kind of martial art it was without even having to try it.
"The Lesser Dragon Steps was child's play."
The Lightning Blade Body Technique probably wasn't the Sichuan Tang Clan's ultimate movement art either. But it was on a completely different level from the Lesser Dragon Steps.
If the Lesser Dragon Steps was, as its name suggested, a young dragon that couldn't fly, then the Lightning Blade Body Technique was a movement art that could ascend to the heavens.
I don't have much time, but I should give it a test run.
"Lightning Wings."
The first step of the Lesser Dragon Steps, which didn't even have a name, had become the thunderous wings called Lightning Wings.
Crackle.
Fwoosh!
It was a forward dash, just like the first step of the Lesser Dragon Steps, but its speed was in a different dimension.
Despite being only at the three-star level, it was one and a half times faster than the Lesser Dragon Steps at its peak.
And it wasn't just about speed. By slightly altering the movement of my upper body, I could produce an even greater variety of changes.
"This is insane."
An exclamation of awe escaped my lips unconsciously. I couldn't even fathom what kind of movements would be possible once I found the proper center of gravity and raised the technique's mastery.
The synergy is good, too.
I could tell for sure after trying it. The Lightning Blade Body Technique had good synergy with the magnetic lightning qi contained within the Myriad Poisons Magnetic Divine Qi.
"Arin."
"Yes."
"Bbaek."
Arin, who had been playing with Bbaekbbaegi, turned her head at my call. A faint dimple graced the corner of her lips. When she was with Bbaekbbaegi, Arin was no longer a person of muted emotions.
"How about a light spar?"
"Pardon?"
"Bare hands. The first person to touch the other wins. How about it?"
"Understood."
"Bbaek!"
As if to say we should sort it out ourselves, Bbaekbbaegi flew up onto a nearby tree.
"We can use our arms to attack or block, and the first to touch the opponent's body wins, correct?"
"That's right."
Arin's expression hardened like stone. She meant to take this seriously.
"I am ready."
She's a swordswoman who relies on speed, making her the perfect opponent to test the Lightning Blade Body Technique.
"Here I come."
Crackle.
"Hah!"
Using Lightning Wings, I appeared right in front of Arin. Perhaps because she was only expecting the Lesser Dragon Steps, her eyes widened to twice their size in surprise at the speed of Lightning Wings.
Thwack.
As I tried to grab her right shoulder, Arin swung her elbow to bat my arm away and reached out to grab me in return.
But I was already gone.
Crackle.
The moment Arin deflected my arm, I used the third form of the Lightning Blade Body Technique. The thunderous shadow that digs in behind the opponent, Lightning Shadow.
Like the third step of the Lesser Dragon Steps, it was a technique for getting behind an opponent, but its speed and variations were on a different level.
"Ah!"
Tap.
Realizing I was behind her, Arin leaped in the opposite direction and turned her body to prevent me from touching her, but I used Lightning Wings to catch up and tap her on the back.
"Ugh..."
Arin slowly turned her head to look at me. Her eyes held an unconcealable surprise.
"Grand Prince. How did you..."
"What do you think? Seem like I've improved?"
"Improved? It's far more than that. I wasn't being careless, yet you still got behind me..."
Though she said she wasn't being careless, she must have been anticipating the me who used the Lesser Dragon Steps, so it was no different from being caught off guard.
If she had faced me knowing about the Lightning Blade Body Technique, it wouldn't have ended so easily.
"If this had been a real fight, I would have lost my life to you in two moves."
"No need to be so dramatic."
"You are definitively faster than before, Grand Prince. And your momentary shifts seem sharper."
It seemed Arin had observed my movements well even in that brief exchange.
"A shame..."
I was dying to test the other movement arts, but a glance at the sky showed the sun had already passed its zenith. It was a little past time to prepare to go to the royal palace.
"Grand Prince. It is time to return."
Arin must have noticed the time as well, as she began to tidy up the area.
"Let's go back."
"Bbaek."
After putting on the dark green formal attire Huraken had prepared and finishing my other preparations, I went to the front of the mansion to find Irea waiting.
"Yuren!"
Irea, who had been standing next to an open-air carriage, closed the distance to me in a single step.
"It's been a while."
"Yes, it has. Have you been well?"
Irea, not in combat mode, still had a tremble in her voice.
"His Grace the Duke took good care of me, so I've been very comfortable."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"I heard the Saintess was in charge of cleaning up the forest. You must have gone through a lot."
"Not at all. It was my duty, of course."
Irea had apparently volunteered to help with the aftermath of the incident and assist those who were affected. She was a woman who truly suited the title of Saintess.
"Ah, but..."
"Bbaek!"
Bbaekbbaegi, who had been in my pocket, suddenly popped out.
"Oh my!"
Irea let out a gasp at the sight of the white furball flapping its wings as it flew up.
"It's regained its strength!"
"Yes. Fortunately, it woke up a few days ago."
"What an adorable little one. Ah!"
"Bbaek."
Bbaekbbaegi landed on Irea's hand.
"It's so, so cute. What's its name?"
"Bbaekbbaegi."
"Pardon?"
Irea's expression grew cold. She wore a look that said, 'I think I misheard you, why don't you say that again.'
"Bbaekbbaegi..."
"..."
Irea was wearing the coldest expression I had ever seen on her. I never knew this woman could make such a face.
"Haaa..."
I heard Arin sigh from behind me.
Is the name Bbaekbbaegi really that bad?
"The name is quite... i-interesting."
"Haaa..."
At Irea's words, Arin sighed again.
"Bbaekbbaegi."
"Bbaekbbaek."
When I called its name, Bbaekbbaegi let out a cheerful chirp, as if to say it liked the name just fine.
"Is everyone ready?"
Huraken emerged from the mansion, dressed in a crisp white formal suit.
"Yes."
"But why the strange atmosphere?"
"Ah, it's nothing. Let's get going."
I couldn't bring myself to say it was because of the spirit beast's name.
"Check your appearances one more time. There will be many people out on the road to the palace, so we must make a good impression."
"People, you say?"
"News of the demonic beast and the Death Knight has already spread throughout the country."
Huraken lightly patted my shoulder and continued.
"In particular, the name of Saint Yuren, who subdued the demonic beast and the Death Knight and purified the land, is spreading like wildfire even now. It's caused quite a stir."
"Then those people are..."
"Yes. They've gathered to see you, knowing you're on your way to the palace."
"Ah..."
"It's no big deal. Just greet the people a little. Let's depart."
Huraken spoke as if it were nothing and had the carriage depart immediately.
"Woooooah!"
"Saint!"
The moment we left the estate and entered the main road leading to the palace, a deafening roar of cheers began.
"Yuren!"
"Saintess!"
"Death Knight Slayer! Yuren Lox!"
Except for the wide central path for the carriages, both sides of the road were packed with people, and all their gazes were fixed on our carriage, and specifically, on me.
"Yuren! Please come to the Holy Kingdom!"
"Saint! Please show us the spirit beast!"
"Saintess!"
"Yuren! Welcome to the kingdom!"
I had experienced a parade-like procession and the cheers of the people in the Crassis Kingdom, but I never expected to receive such a massive welcome in another country.
People were shouting my name or "Saint" as if their lungs would burst.
"Well? Can you feel your popularity?"
"The stories about you spread before we could even try to contain them. There were just so many astonishing events."
"Look at that, they're not even calling my name."
"Grandfather, you wander the streets every day, so they see you often."
Huraken spoke as if disappointed, but his voice was filled with nothing but satisfaction.
"That's the royal palace. It's probably a bit smaller than your country's."
The Holy Kingdom's royal palace was smaller than that of the Crassis Kingdom, but its exterior was more ornate. Goddesses were carved into every pillar and wall, and the entire castle seemed to sparkle.
"I must see His Majesty now. Your audience is tomorrow, so rest well in your quarters today."
"Understood."
As soon as we entered the palace, Huraken went for his audience with the king, while the rest of us were guided to our lodgings.
"Nice bed."
"Bbaek."
The moment I entered the room and flopped onto the bed, Bbaekbbaegi slipped out of my pocket and started rolling around just like me.
"I have an important job for you tomorrow. It's for your own good."
I spoke while lying down, looking at Bbaekbbaegi.
"Bbaek."
Bbaekbbaegi shot up from its spot as if to say, "Spit it out."
"Tomorrow, when I tap you, I need you to go to the statue right in front of us and peck the green jewel..."
Knock, knock.
The next day, after breakfast, a knock came at the door while I was meditating.
"Your Grace the Duke?"
"Did you sleep well?"
The person standing at the door was Huraken.
"I slept very comfortably. But what brings you here...?"
"I came to get you. You're my guest, so it's only right that I see to you until the end."
"Hmm."
Looking to the side, I saw young civil officials and maids standing there, not knowing what to do. They were probably the ones originally meant to guide me.
"I'll get ready and be out right away."
"Take your time."
With the help of a maid, I dressed neatly, and finally, I put Bbaekbbaegi in my pocket.
"You stay in there, and when I touch you, you come out."
"Bbaek!"
Bbaekbbaegi replied spiritedly. If the plan worked, Bbaekbbaegi would gain an element today.
"Looking at you here, you're quite handsome. It's like seeing my younger self."
"Is that so."
I'd heard it so often since my time with Marquis Lox that I just let it slide.
"It's true."
"I understand."
"You don't believe me. I'll show you a portrait of my younger self later."
Chatting idly with Huraken, I followed the young official toward the audience chamber.
"Yuren."
"Grand Prince."
Irea and Arin had already arrived in front of the audience chamber doors. Irea was wearing a priestly robe of mixed blue and green, while Arin was dressed in the crimson formal attire of a knight.
"Am I invisible to you two?"
"Grandfather, we had breakfast together this morning."
"Still, there's such a thing as a proper greeting."
While those two were talking, I looked at Arin. Even before seeing the king of a nation, her expression remained as serene as ever.
"Aren't you nervous?"
"I am nervous."
Even those words were calm. She didn't seem nervous at all.
"Huh? Grand Prince."
But her serene expression was shattered not by the king, but by the sight of my pocket.
"Don't tell me you brought Bbaekbbaegi..."
"The audience has been granted. Everyone, please prepare."
Just as Arin was about to speak, the scribe standing before the door spoke up. Arin immediately closed her mouth but kept blinking, her gaze darting between Bbaekbbaegi and me.
"Then. I will open the doors."
Kugung.
As everyone nodded, the scribe opened the doors. I followed Huraken, who entered naturally.
Thud.
The audience chamber was vast, but the presence of the man sitting on the throne in the center made it feel somewhat smaller. A gentle yet firm dignity enveloped him.
"Welcome, all of you."
The man's hair was a mix of blond and white, but his skin was as firm as a young man's. This middle-aged man, who looked at us with benevolent eyes, was Railey Vertrou, the Holy King of the Holy Kingdom.
"Your Majesty, of the Zenberg House..."
"We saw each other yesterday, what's with the formal greetings? Rise."
Huraken, who had bent the knee, rose at the Holy King's words. The Holy King's gaze calmly swept over the four of us before stopping on me.
"Yuren Lox, eldest son of the Marquis Lox House of the Crassis Kingdom, offers his greetings to His Majesty, Holy King Railey Vertrou of the Holy Kingdom."
I greeted him with the same etiquette I had used for my own king. After me, Irea and Arin finished their greetings, and the Holy King gave a slight nod.
"Hehe, so. You are the Saint."
"I am not, Your Majesty."
"You are not?"
"That is correct. My abilities were merely timely. I am not someone like a Saint."
"Hahaha!"
Railey let out a light laugh.
"Why is that? Isn't it a good thing to be called a Saint? It would be of great help not only in this Holy Kingdom but in your own country as well."
"Because I do not wish to use the praise of others in such a way."
"Hoh."
The corners of Railey's lips curled up strangely. When his eyes met Huraken's, his smile deepened.
"Saint or not, you have performed a great service, one that is difficult to compare with any other."
"It was not my strength, but the strength of everyone."
"I have heard the whole story from Duke Huraken. You helped the endangered priests and holy knights, captured the Death Knight, killed the demonic beast, and even saved the Saintess. Was that the strength of everyone?"
"That is correct. It was an achievement made possible because everyone played their part."
"And the purification of the poison and mist?"
"That was..."
Railey liked humble people, so I was deliberately playing coy. It might have seemed like he was pressuring me, but he was actually viewing me very favorably right now.
"Well, it matters not whether you acted through luck or skill. However, one thing is certain."
Railey paused for a moment and looked at me, Arin, and Irea one by one.
"The fact that you have rendered a great service to this kingdom."
Railey spoke as he gestured toward the capital city outside the window.
"Your deeds were incredible just to hear about. When I heard that you saved a spirit beast at the end, even I wondered if you truly were a Saint. Hehe."
Railey showed a genuinely pleased smile. This seemed like the perfect moment.
"Bbaek."
I gave Bbaekbbaegi a tap, and it popped out of my pocket.
Chachachang!
As Bbaekbbaegi emerged from my pocket, the king's royal guards, who had been hidden behind the pillars, rushed out.
"Stand down."
The knights all froze in place at Railey's command.
"This bird is?"
"This is the spirit beast I rescued from that place. It cries when we are separated, so I had no choice but to bring it. My sincerest apologies."
"No, no. It's good you brought it. I was just wondering what my spirit beast looked like."
So far, it was just like the original story. Now, all Bbaekbbaegi had to do was peck at the green jewel on the statue next to the king and absorb it.
"Bbaek!"
Bbaekbbaegi! Not there!
Taking flight, Bbaekbbaegi ignored the jewel on the statue next to the king that I had told it about and instead began to peck at a sea-blue jewel attached to a pillar in the back.
"Bbaek."
"Hoho, what a creature. It's quite adorable."
"My apologies. I will call it back immediately."
"No, it's fine. Let it be. I'd like to see what it's doing."
Railey watched Bbaekbbaegi pecking at the pillar's jewel with the indulgent smile of a grandfather watching his grandchild.
Curious as to what on earth it was pecking at instead of the spirit stone, I activated my eyes.
Ancient Water Spirit Stone - Stage 1
An ancient spirit?