Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: A Lifelong Companion Met Again Across Time
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As I reached the Hall of Divinity, I caught sight of Knight Izenberg and the knights under his command from the Radiant Order, swords drawn and at the ready.
I shoved Princess Ignatius in front of them, striking a pose that screamed I could slice her head off at any second. Knight Izenberg boasted swordsmanship and physical prowess leagues beyond any other holy knight or paladin.
One wrong glance, and I'd be done for in an instant.
Of course, Count Meyer was no slouch either, but he was in no position to harm me, so I pretty much ignored him.
Knight Izenberg approached me, radiating a ferocious aura.
"You fiend! Isn't it shameful for a man of honor to take a frail woman hostage?"
I shamelessly shook my head.
"Nah, not at all~. This woman's at least a fifth-cycle saintess mage and a powerhouse next-gen authority figure. She's anything but frail. What the hell are you even looking at with those perfectly good eyes?"
"You bastard!"
As Knight Izenberg bellowed and closed in, I readied myself to sever Princess Ignatius's neck at the slightest provocation.
"Hey. Careful now. One more step, and her head rolls. And I have zero intention of dodging your attacks. I'll kill the princess and go down with her."
"What kind of venomous scum...!"
Izenberg ground his teeth and halted. Count Meyer hurriedly stepped toward him.
"You mustn't attack."
"Why not?"
"That's the Grand Duke's Heir of Karl."
Izenberg widened his eyes in disbelief. I was the reserved next-gen powerhouse of the Yosrahim Empire. For someone like him, it was impossible to comprehend why I'd take Princess Ignatius hostage and turn the Divinum Cathedral into chaos.
"What could possibly be lacking for the Grand Duke's Heir to act like this?"
"Sigh~ I have no idea. In any case, even if the chance arises, you can't attack."
"I can't do that. No matter who he is—even the Grand Duke's Heir—if he's defiled the sanctity, he must pay with his life."
"That's exactly why I'm telling you not to. If you attack rashly, not only our Grand Duke's Heir but Princess Ignatius as well will die."
"He's just a child. I can rescue Princess Ignatius unharmed."
"No. Our Grand Duke's Heir is a Master swordsman."
Izenberg scoffed.
"Nonsense! How could the Grand Duke's Heir, who just came of age, reach the realm of a Master swordsman? In all history since ancient times, only two such swordsmanship geniuses have existed."
"Yes. His Imperial Majesty Zeke Fried Emperor and our imperial family's elder, Grand Duke Cloud. And our Grand Duke's Heir has strongly inherited the blood of the Yosrahim imperial family."
That much was true. The Yosrahim imperial family had produced an unusual number of genius swordsmen. The prime examples were the Zeke Fried Emperor and Grand Duke Cloud just mentioned. With two already, one more wasn't all that strange.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes. I was doubtful before, but now I'm convinced. Many of the holy knights gathered here have confirmed it as well."
Holy knights wield force, but they're still clerics. They don't absolutely never lie, but they view it as a grave sin akin to murder. If multiple say so, it's likely true.
"This is...!"
Izenberg stamped his feet in frustration. Even he couldn't act rashly if I was a Master swordsman. He'd sense it the moment I circulated mana for a surprise attack.
And even if he could, he wouldn't dare strike. I was the genius swordsman from the Yosrahim imperial line following Zeke Fried Emperor and Grand Duke Cloud.
If I died here, Grand Duke Cloud wouldn't stay silent. That patriot old codger would never forgive the one who killed the empire's future hope.
No matter how much of a Master swordsman Knight Izenberg was, he couldn't help but fear Grand Duke Cloud. That man was a monster incarnate.
The Hall of Divinity had stood in this spot for thousands of years, yet it still gleamed with its opulent, majestic splendor untouched by the passage of time. Within lay the Seven Divine Artifacts left by the Seven Grand Saintesses, as well as the Codex of Creation, the first holy scripture penned by Saint Prosia.
This was why people regarded the Hall of Divinity as the most sacred place in the world.
'Yojjo. We're almost there.'
I finally stood before the Hall of Divinity. Some holy knights had fiercely blocked my path, but they disarmed and withdrew at Knight Izenberg's signal. There was a risk of losing a divine artifact because of me, but that was precisely what Izenberg wanted. The tracking magic on the artifacts would reveal my position in real time.
Of course, not the Seven Divine Artifacts themselves—those wouldn't leave the Hall unless their wielder took them out.
As I entered the Hall of Divinity, a long corridor stretched before me: the 'Path of Glory' leading to the Gold Chamber where the Seven Divine Artifacts were enshrined. I walked this path alone with Ignatius, utterly undisturbed.
"Huh. No one's chasing us?"
"Of course not. The Hall of Divinity is a place no unqualified person can enter."
"True. Takes 100 leafs of gold to get in, after all. Heh heh heh."
Ignatius clamped her mouth shut for a moment. Once in a lifetime, one could enter the Hall by donating 100 leafs of gold as an offering.
"Your heart is filled with distrust toward the divine."
"No. It's you lot I don't trust."
I honestly believed in the gods' existence. The age of ruin had arrived just as described in the Codex of Creation, and I'd even been reincarnated by some mysterious power. I just didn't trust the ones scamming people under the guise of divinity.
Honestly, they'd have to be thoroughly rotten to pull that off.
Even this Hall of Divinity was the same. Entry required a donation of 100 leafs of gold—an unimaginable fortune for commoners, no matter how hard they toiled their whole lives. With barriers like that, the powerless and poor were denied even the chance at divinity.
"Us?"
"You're scamming people with 'divinity,' aren't you? Wearing the mask of faith to do it is low. You'll get divine retribution eventually."
"Th-that's...!"
"So go tell them to cut back on the scamming. I'm saying it out of pity. Tsk tsk tsk."
"......"
Ignatius couldn't continue. With eyes of her own, she couldn't be ignorant of the church's corruption.
As I reached the Gold Chamber, the entrance slid open on its own. My gaze fell upon the Seven Divine Artifacts placed alongside the proxy statues of the Seven Grand Saintesses. As expected, three were fakes. The auras they emitted differed greatly, and the materials were subtly off.
'Sacred Flame Sword Idrone is definitely with Catrine right now, but who took Moon Eclipse's Four Saints Helm Talathas and Death Soul's Spirit Staff Rosim?'
I figured the rest had been taken by the Valkyries too. Only a handful knew three artifacts were missing, and only they could sneak the Seven Divine Artifacts out. The Valkyries could freely enter and exit the barrier-protected Hall.
But it didn't matter. I had zero interest in the Seven Divine Artifacts. Their absence didn't particularly disappoint me.
"That one's yours. Radiant Vice Shield Shaia. Go on, reach out."
As Ignatius gazed at the Shaia held by the statue of the Grand Saintess of Light, a brilliant radiance burst forth, slowly rising into the air. It was the signal that Shaia had chosen its master.
Shaia drifted toward her and settled into her arms. Overwhelmed, Ignatius dropped to one knee.
A hexagram emanating light from its circular rim. A silver-white aura of light pouring from the long shaft. Definitely Shaia.
Ignatius knelt weakly, unable to believe this sacred moment of glory had come to her.
"O God, this humble servant shall honor Shaia's choice."
Her prayer dragged on. I waited, understanding her feelings, but it showed no sign of ending.
It was getting excessive. Reaching my limit of patience, I lightly tapped her head with the flat of my blade.
"Cut it out. Any more gratitude prayers, and it's straight-up stalking. Think about how annoyed the gods listening in must be."
Ignatius abruptly ended her prayer and glared at me with trembling eyes.
"Who the hell are you? How did you know I'd become Shaia's master?"
"No need to know."
"Who are you, I said!"
Ignatius's shout rang in my ears. I picked at mine casually.
"Just know you're getting way too much annoying attention from some damn god."
"Which god?"
"No clue beyond that."
I didn't know the god who reincarnated me. If they'd shown their face, I might have some idea, but it all happened so fast—I'd never seen anything like that.
"Y-you...!"
"Anyway. Your business is done, so I need to handle mine."
As I turned to leave, Ignatius hurriedly followed. To her, I was now some great prophet.
"What business?"
"Oh. Gotta find Yojjo."
"Yojjo?"
"Yeah. The world's strongest sword."
"Isn't Sacred Flame Sword Idrone the world's strongest?"
"Hah. Idrone? Strongest? It's just a fancy fire poker with good firepower."
I launched into a paean for Yojjo. It couldn't use holy magic, but it was a divine artifact that survived to the very end of the age of ruin. The strongest isn't the one that starts out strongest—it's the one that lasts till the end.
Plus, Yojjo had its quirks as a divine artifact. Sometimes it'd ring out on its own whim, and heading toward where the blade pointed always bizarrely opened a path. That was a big reason I survived to the end.
Ignatius shook her head, unable to comprehend.
"Impossible. No sword can surpass Idrone."
"Sure. Believe what you want."
I abandoned any lingering attachment to the Gold Chamber and headed to the adjacent Silver Chamber. Inside, centered around Dalahan, were over a hundred near-second-tier divine artifacts encircling it.
I glanced at Dalahan as I passed. It was a claymore with one side of the blade black and the other a natural silver-white, split down the center.
Dalahan. In my past life, I'd lingered around it for ages, consumed by desire to claim it. My expectations had been sky-high.
Its first master was Zeke Fried Emperor, after all, and I looked just like his portrait. I'd dyed my hair red like the ancient emperor to mess with imperial folk, and at school drama festivals, I was always cast as the lead in plays about his legend.
But now? Nothing special.
Honestly, even if I took it, it'd just be a headache. Probably count myself lucky if I didn't die young screaming like Zeke Fried Emperor. Before power, family means nothing—nieces or cousins won't save you.
"Heh."
"Why the laugh?"
Ignatius reacted instantly to my hollow chuckle. I just shrugged.
"Nothing."
I stood before the white door to the Bronze Chamber. Yojjo was inside. I took a deep breath, then slowly opened the door and stepped in.