Division -1-
Early dawn. The academy group was climbing the snowy mountain. Their breaths puffed white as they trudged through the powdery snow.
"..."
Luin followed silently behind, shouldering the baggage without complaint.
"Haa... haa..."
Malik said nothing, merely nodding as he glanced at Luin’s labored breathing. His eyes have changed.
The vacant, purposeless gaze of a fool had sharpened into something alive. Those eyes now burned with a passion that suggested he could carry his own weight. Malik allowed himself a small smile at the sight of Luin finally looking human again.
If I pushed him a little harder, he might have become even more impressive, but I suppose I should hold back. It would be a waste to make such a fine pack mule cry.
"Krrgh! I can do this...!"
It didn’t seem like Luin had gained some grand enlightenment or awakening. Rather, he had overcome something far more difficult. People with strong wills always found it hardest to bend their convictions. Someone like him, who had once enjoyed privileges and status others could only dream of, would have found it especially painful to lower his pride. Yet the Luin before Malik now looked like someone who had taken that painful step.
"Huu... huu..."
Though Malik knew one major failure wouldn’t produce quick results, he couldn’t deny that this version of Luin was far better than the one who had remained stuck in past mistakes.
Impressive.
Determination was etched on every student’s face. Yuria, the healer who had hit rock bottom countless times yet refused to stop, wore an expression of tension.
...Nothing bad will happen, right?
Shyartia’s face carried the weight of responsibility; she had narrowed down the Holy Sword’s location to the north after piecing together countless clues.
It has to be there. It must be there.
Hanna’s expression remained calm.
...
Hanna seemed to have some idea of what lay ahead. She knew this journey would not be easy.
The massive procession marched forward, slowly advancing toward the temple where the Holy Sword slept. The fifty imperial soldiers trailing behind chatted idly about the Holy Sword to ease their nerves.
"Hey, is there really a Holy Sword up there?"
"Who knows? The princess says there is, so we’re going."
"Ah... this is exhausting."
"Shut up and keep moving."
"Yes, sir..."
"By the way, who gets the Holy Sword if we find it?"
"Idiot. Whoever draws it, owns it."
They endured the grueling climb while trading such idle talk. There was no tension in their steps. They had no idea what might await them.
"..."
Watching their relaxed demeanor, Malik clicked his tongue and recalled what Ricardo had said.
There are more cultists than expected.
How many?
Even my father is coming, so we shouldn’t be outnumbered.
No. We will be.
If that man said such a thing, then the enemy’s forces were not to be underestimated. Especially since none of them had ever faced an Apostle before. They knew nothing of their strength or bizarre abilities. The most terrifying aspect of black magic was its unpredictable individuality. For now, his senses detected nothing, so he could afford to relax slightly—but Malik remained cautious. The peace could end at any moment. His father still hadn’t arrived.
Something happened in the capital. I’ll be delayed while dealing with it, but I’ll get there as fast as I can before you arrive.
The summit is already in sight... This is troublesome.
Malik looked up at the peak of the snowy mountain and closed his eyes.
I’ll need to buy time for Father to join us.
Standing at the front, Malik raised his hand toward the group following him.
"Halt for a moment."
The others looked puzzled at the sudden gesture, but they exhaled in relief at the chance to catch their breath. They were exhausted from the climb that had begun at dawn.
"Haa... I’m dying."
"It’s cold... and I’m hungry."
"Yuria, are we there yet?"
"A... almost...!"
Malik, standing and gazing at the summit, turned to Yuria.
"Yuria."
"Y-yes!"
"How much longer until we arrive?"
Yuria furrowed her brow as she recalled the route, then answered.
"About five hours! It’s noon now, so... three hours if we take the fast path, five if we take the easier one!"
"Five hours... Still a long way."
Five hours was tight. They had prepared for camping if necessary, but finishing within a day was preferable. The longer the journey dragged on, the more exhausted the group would become—and if the enemy was counting on that, it had to be avoided at all costs.
Malik let out a deep breath.
"We’ll take our third rest here. Bring out the ingredients. I’ll cook."
It was noon. They needed to conserve their strength.
This is a heavy burden. The weight of responsibility pressed down on him.
*
"Quite a lot of them."
Alone near the temple where the Holy Sword slept, I frowned and muttered to myself. There were far more people than I had anticipated. Roughly a hundred cultists in black robes surrounded the temple, all of them seemingly capable fighters. The cultist camp, encircled by an opaque barrier, was pouring magic into the temple’s own protective field.
Kwaaaak!
Kuung...!
Kugugugugung!
"...Even doing that won’t break it."
The conditions to enter the sanctuary only became available after sunset. Once the Holy Sword’s light weakened, one would gain the freedom to enter. If someone tried to force their way in—
Krr... Kraaaak!!!!
—they would be burned alive by the light’s energy and die. Specific timing. Strict conditions. That was why no one had been able to locate the Holy Sword for hundreds of years—the temple’s secrets had kept it hidden. Unless one possessed the destined qualifications, stepping into the Holy Sword Temple was nearly impossible. That was why Yuria revealing the location had fulfilled the conditions for the cultists. Their method was crude—blindly searching until they stumbled upon it by chance. The academy group, on the other hand, had opened the path in the direction the Holy Sword desired. That was why the cultists were struggling. Even after twenty of their own had already died like lab rats, the fact that they kept charging was impressive in its own way.
Hmm...
The cultists had one goal: seize the Holy Sword first, then eliminate those who arrived later. But their impatience at things not going according to plan made it clear that something had gone wrong.
"...The Holy Sword, huh."
Could I draw it, though? I was confident my heart was purer than any color in this world.
...Probably not.
Realizing that my lady would burst out laughing if she heard that, I slowly closed my eyes and looked at the setting sun.
"It’s about to begin."
The barrier has disappeared!
As the opaque barrier surrounding the sanctuary vanished, a pristine white temple came into view. A temple as white as pure snow. At the same time, I couldn’t help but marvel at how such a massive structure had gone unnoticed by people for hundreds of years. It looked exactly like the description in the novel.
The scale is insane.
Now, how should I move? According to Elysia, the cultists’ underlings were supposed to move to deal with the academy group arriving later. I looked at the seven figures standing with their hands behind their backs behind the hundred-plus cultists. And then—
"What the—"
I rubbed my eyes at the sight of a single figure emerging from the darkness.
"Eight of them?"
Why was there one more? A person wearing a robe stepped out from what looked like a gate. Judging by their height, they seemed female, but their face was obscured, making it hard to tell. One thing was certain—
We greet the Apostle of Benevolence.
Things had gone off course. Over a hundred cultists quickly formed ranks and stood at attention. The five archbishops in white robes addressed the Apostle in loud voices.
"The path has opened!"
The Apostle of Temperance raised a hand.
"Begin the hunt."
It was starting.
A variable.
Events were beginning to flow in a direction I hadn’t anticipated.
*
After finishing their rest, the group continued their climb. When the temple came into view, everyone let out sighs of relief.
"It’s the temple!!!"
"Whoa, it really exists?!"
"...Your Highness! It’s the temple! The temple!"
Shyartia exhaled in relief. Yuria did the same. Everyone was exclaiming in awe. It was astonishing to find such a beautiful temple in the barren north. While they were marveling at the massive temple visible between the sunset hues—
"Stop...!"
Malik raised his guard and drew his sword.
"Draw your weapons."
"...Huh?"
As the soldiers sensed the presence and began drawing their swords one by one, a voice rang out.
Crackkkk!!!
The sky split open, and a massive sphere of magic descended over their heads.
"An ambush..."
The attacker was a robed woman.
"An elf."
She was an elf skilled with both bow and magic.