Chapter 28
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Kingdom Command Mission (3)
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Roin turned his head toward the Lake of the Goddess, still unable to shake the disbelief nagging at him.
How could a monster hide inside the Lake of the Goddess, brimming with holy water?
It defied all common sense.
But,
Its not entirely impossible.
Holy water was effective against the undead, but it wasnt some universal cure-all that perfectly repelled all monsters.
No matter how thoroughly they searched the surroundings, there was no sign of the giant Kaib.
The only place big enough to hide that massive body is under the lake!
He had no choice but to commit.
Suddenly, Roin began stripping off his upper garments.
The onlookers could only gape in shock at his bizarre behaviordiving into battle with a monster one moment, then casually shedding his clothes the next.
What the hell are you doing?!
Remina shouted in outrage.
But Roin didnt respond.
He was ready to dive in.
Yet his feet hesitated.
The floating debris bobbing on the lakes surface kept drawing his eye.
The water doesnt look all that clean.
Holy water wasnt guaranteed to be some miracle skin treatment.
Its effects were limited to enhancing divine power and purifying impurities.
There were no scholarly reports claiming holy water was a boon for skincare.
Dont think about that.
First things firsthe needed to deal with these damn Kaibs quickly.
He wanted to wrap up this kingdom command mission and get back to the dorms for some rest.
And for that, Roin had to take the plunge.
Here goes, fuck it!
He hurled himself into the Lake of the Goddess.
Splash!
The icy chill enveloped his entire body.
Roin turned his gaze toward the lake bottom.
There, caught in his vision, was a massive something wrapped in a gray barrier.
I knew it!
The leader Kaib, hiding quietly as a mouse.
But unfortunately for it, Roin had spotted it dead on.
The giant Kaibs red eyes gleamed the moment it saw Roin.
Wary of him, it extended an arm to strike.
But even underwater, Roins strength held firm.
In fact, Roin seized the giant Kaibs arm instead.
Not in the waterlets take this outside!
With all his might, he flung the beast outward.
Whoosh!
A towering spray of water erupted,
And the massive body was dragged helplessly by Roins power.
The instant the giant Kaib was forcibly ejected from the Lake of the Goddess,
W-what is that?!
Everyone stared at it with eyes screaming, Why are you coming out of there?!
Boom!
The enormous bulk crashed into the lakeside ground.
Roin mounted atop it.
Huh? Whats this?
Something was embedded in the giant Kaibs chest.
A shard-like object oozed powerful demonic energy.
So it was drawing mana from this.
At first, hed thought it was a discolored mana heart.
But it was far too small for that.
Whatever it is, for now
He gripped his sword upside down and poured strength into his right hand.
Lets pull it out and see!
Though Roin now wore the form of a boy, his raw power surpassed even his prime as Lord Rodri.
In one swift motion, he pierced the giant Kaibs chest.
Stab!
He drove the blade deep, then carved out a chunk matching the shards size.
The Kaib swung its massive hand to shake him off.
Whoosh!
Its left arm came whipping toward Roin with a heavy whoomph.
But Roin channeled aura into the dagger at his waist and severed the left arm in a single stroke.
Thud!
The severed limb hit the ground.
Hold still, you bastard.
Roin successfully extracted the shard with his blades tip.
The moment he saw it, his expression changed in an instant.
Why the hell is a shard of the Demon God here?
It was one of the biggest headaches Lord Rodri knew all too well.
There are beings that summon gods into the world.
Sacred relics.
Before his reincarnation, Roin had used a sacred relic called the Tear of the Moon to temporarily summon Goddess Ashutar into the mortal realm.
The same principle allowed demons gods to descend as well.
The way to summon Inkrathe demon god worshipped by Muorat and his ilkwas to gather the shards of the Demon God that Roin now held.
Assemble the shards into a complete whole, and the demon god would descend.
That was why Inkras cultists were desperately hunting for these shards.
Even the corrupt priest Muorat had made finding them his top priority.
Who wouldve thought hed stumble on one here?
One shocking discovery after another.
Roin wasnt the only one stunned.
Once they realized the giant Kaib had swallowed a shard of the Demon God, the mission ground to a halt.
The dispatched priests, unable to hide their shock, sprang into action regarding the matter.
First order of business: transport the Demon God shard to a secure location.
Fortunately, the paladin order took charge of the escort duty.
Barton gathered the junior knights.
Rest up, then we head back to the academy. Get ready.
Yes!
And Roin.
Called out, Roin replied with a blank expression.
Yeah.
Come see me for a bit.
He singled out Roin alone.
Roin could guess a dozen reasons why hed been called aside.
Accompanying Barton into the temporary command tent.
The moment they sat, Barton grilled him.
How did you know the Kaib leader was at the lake bottom?
He didnt care about Roin abandoning formation or stripping mid-battle.
What he most wanted to know was how hed pinpointed the leaders location.
That was the burning question.
Roins answer was simple.
It wasnt on land, so I figured it had to be in the water.
Barton raised one eyebrow slightly at the response.
The Lake of the Goddess is filled with water used as holy water. Its not an idea most people would even considerthat a monster could be hiding in there.
That was usually true.
But veterans with tons of monster combat experience could pivot their thinking like Roin.
Judgment honed by experience.
Barton couldnt fathom how a mere junior knight boy possessed such instincts.
But Roins answer remained consistent.
Like I said before, it was just simple reasoning.
That was it.
Pressing further would just yield the same response.
Reluctantly, Barton dismissed him back to his spot.
Even after Roin left, the furrow in Bartons brow refused to ease.
Theres definitely something more to him.
The uncanny abilities Roin had shown since apprentice knight days, steadily rising to the surface.
Barton was dying to know their source.
I get how Lepid felt now.
The trainees left the Sendri Ruins and re-entered the urban area.
Exhaustion was plain on their faces.
The expedition itself hadnt been overly grueling.
But the battles with the monsters had weighed heavily on them.
Fortunately, not a single one of them had lost their life.
There were injuries, but considering it was a kingdom command mission, this level of casualties was borderline miraculous.
These missions were notoriously tough by design.
Previously, theyd been restricted to mid knights and above.
Now that the restriction was lifted, casualties shouldve been even worse than before.
Yet theyd made it through unscathed, thanks to Rointhe only one looking completely fine.
If he hadnt swiftly taken down the Kaib leader, some trainees mightve died.
Because of this, most now felt goodwill toward Roin.
The man himself remained oblivious.
Instead,
Somethings off. Whys my face so itchy?
His left cheek had been bothering him since yesterday.
Not like I got bitten by a bug.
He slathered on bug-repellent cream every night, so that wasnt possible.
On top of that, Roin had spent most nights wide awake.
Just in case bugs snuck up on him.
The slightest hint of one approaching, and hed leap up to crush it by hand.
Sleep deprivation was the enemy of good skin.
But bug bites causing breakouts were worse.
Over the ten-day round trip, Roin had barely slept a wink.
And yet hed felled the Kaib leader in that state.
A true iron man.
Of course, only he knew the truth.
Cant wait to get back and crash. Wait, noshower first.
Since emerging from the Lake of the Goddess, Roin hadnt properly showered.
The devotees saw the water as holy.
To him, it was just stagnant filth.
I wanna wash up so bad!
Right now, the Demon God shard discovery mattered less than a shower.
The trainees returned safely to the swordsmanship academy.
After over ten days on expedition, they were granted temporary leave.
Meanwhile, Barton wrapped up his backlog of reports to the headmasterincluding the Demon God shard discovery.
The shards of the demon god reappearing in the world.
But that aside.
Thanks to Roin Leyden taking down the leader, we finished ahead of schedule.
Roin Leydens role couldnt be ignored.
Lately, he was the trainee the headmaster heard about most.
During the apprentice phase, it had been Lepid going on about Roin this and Roin that.
Now Barton had picked up the baton.
I should meet this Roin trainee myself sometime.
Youd find it entertaining.
Entertaining?
Yeah.
Barton flashed a knowing smile.
Hes a guy who defies all common sense.
Roin beelined for the shower the moment he arrived.
He scrubbed away the grime with a loofah thick with foam.
Finally feels like Im alive!
Even so, his left cheek still itched.
He had to avoid scratching too hard with his nails.
It would damage the skin.
Hands harbor the most bacteria.
Best to keep them clean and touch gently without scratching.
My skins precious.
He finished showering and toweled off completely.
Then he pulled out a few fire stones and placed them under the iron basin of water.
The room was too dry.
Preparations complete.
Time to sleep?
Finally, Roin could close his eyes in peace.
About two hours into deep slumber,
An ominous sensation jolted him awake.
The moment his hand brushed his left cheek.
Roins eyes widened in shock.
The alien texture under his fingertips.
He bolted upright and checked the mirror.
There, stark on his left cheek, was a prominent pimple.
Fuuuuck!!!!!
A mystery curse echoed through the dorms that shouldve been quiet.