Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Battle for the Holy Grail (4)
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“You made the right call assigning this mission to us.”
Inquisitor Knight Brigade Leader Kurt Aleyas murmured as he lifted his head.
“Transporting holy relics is normally the Pilgrimage Investigation Headquarters’ job, but we pulled it off under the pretext of fearing an attack from the Dialogue Church.”
“Indeed, Sir Kurt.”
Hazel agreed from beside him.
The old knight, who had retired to serve as Kurt’s butler, had returned to the field when Kurt took command of the Inquisitor Knight Brigade.
“Thanks to that, we could rush right over.”
“Yeah.”
Kurt had originally been overprotective of his son, Sion.
After hearing Ianus’s sermon, he’d stopped, but… he couldn’t just stand by while his only son faced such dire peril.
“Klaus the Marquis is going to lodge a massive protest later.”
“With an archbishop from the Dialogue Church showing up, we can justify it a hundred times over.”
As they advanced while chatting, they finally spotted Sion standing in the middle of the ravine.
“Sion, you’re safe!”
“Thank you for coming, Inquisitor Knight Brigade Leader.”
“You little…!”
Instead of rushing over with tears in his eyes shouting ‘Father!’, the boy responded with that calm, stoic expression.
He was frustratingly mature.
“No injuries?”
“As you can see, I’m fine.”
“Good. That’s a relief.”
It really was.
If they’d been even a little later, his only son would’ve been ravaged by the Dialogue Church’s wicked archbishop.
“Leave the rest to your father here.”
Kurt lifted his head as he spoke.
“Archbishop Sapphirus!”
“Kurt Aleyas…!”
From atop the hill, Sapphirus glared down at Kurt, grinding her teeth.
Kurt had exterminated countless of Sapphirus’s subordinates in the past. They’d clashed directly several times.
“You’re still kicking, huh? That hag sure knows how to cling to life.”
“You bastard…!”
Sapphirus’s face twisted at Kurt’s taunt.
* * *
Faced with the imposing presence of the holy knights Kurt had brought, Sapphirus’s subordinates didn’t dare move.
The Inquisitor Knight Brigade was one of the Holy Knight Order’s two elite units, alongside the Assault Knight Brigade. Even if Sapphirus had brought her elite troops under her archdiocesan authority, they had no choice but to tense up.
Sapphirus herself, who’d been so triumphant moments ago, now stared at Kurt with a wary expression.
“You’ve aged a lot yourself, Kurt… The pretty boy from your youth is gone, replaced by a plain middle-aged uncle.”
“Of course. People should mature gracefully with age. Clinging to that mug for over a century like you is what’s shameful.”
“Kurt…!”
Sapphirus grew furious at Kurt’s rough tongue.
Having lived with Kurt’s family all this time, I’d completely forgotten, but Kurt was originally the manliest among the Aleyas children.
“Maybe it’s time to scrape off that thick layer of makeup caked on your face? I’ll do it myself with my sword. All that century-old grime-soaked gunk will come crumbling down.”
“This face transcends aging, you vulgar swine…!”
“The vulgar stench is all yours, hag. Or should I say corpse reek? I recommend burning it off with those purifying flames your precious Dialogue Church boasts about.”
Over a decade had passed, but Kurt’s trash talk was as sharp as ever.
‘Back in the day, I was the one taking all that abuse…’
I reminisced about the barrage of insults I’d endured during my time as Archbishop Hausel.
Yet here was Kurt, never cursing at his son and only speaking kindly to him. People really do have many sides.
“I should’ve killed you back when you were still green… What a regret.”
Sapphirus glared at Kurt, gnashing her teeth.
“No helping it. Time to settle past mistakes here.”
“And how do you plan to do that?”
“This time, I’ll kill you. You and your son both.”
Sapphirus raised her hand as she spoke.
At her signal, her subordinates waiting atop the ravine sprang into action.
“Wipe them all out!”
“Your will!”
The top-tier assassins leaped into the air, daggers raised.
The spellcasting battle priests unleashed flames in unison, while the sword-wielding ones deployed sword auras and charged down the ravine.
“Judge these wicked Dialogue Church scum!”
“In the name of the Holy Spirit, deliver judgment!”
At Kurt’s command, the inquisitor knights moved out.
Even the lowliest inquisitor knights wielded sword energy as 3-stars. 6-stars capable of sword auras were plentiful.
The sight of them unleashing sword energy and auras en masse to clash with Sapphirus’s forces was spectacular.
“Lieselotte.”
“Yes, Sir Sion!”
I gave Lieselotte her orders.
“Protect the Holy Grail with the other squad members. Mateur’s in the carriage, so once Edwin’s treatment is done, have him assist.”
“Understood!”
With Kurt and the inquisitor knights stepping in, the Dialogue Church wouldn’t get near the Holy Grail, but we had to prepare for contingencies.
“What about you, Sir Sion?”
“I’m joining the fight.”
“Are you sure? This’ll be way more intense than any scrap we’ve been in.”
“Does that matter?”
When I shot back curtly, Lieselotte shook her head helplessly.
“Come back safe, Sir Sion.”
“No worries.”
With Lieselotte’s encouragement, I stepped forward.
[A melee’s broken out. Hard to say who has the edge.]
We had the numbers advantage with the Inquisitor Knight Brigade. Overall combat power leaned our way too.
But terrain favored the Dialogue Church attacking from the ravine’s heights. Their battle priests and assassins were used to rugged fights anyway.
[The brigade’s well-trained, but Sapphirus’s goons are no slouches. It’ll be a brutal slugfest.]
‘That’s why we need a breakthrough.’
Muttering that, I channeled mana into Ashurai.
I’d been fighting nonstop, but absorbing mana from Pertus had refilled me completely.
I formed a sturdy sword aura, then wrapped my entire body in mana armor to boost defense.
“That guy’s the convoy leader!”
“Kill him!”
As I advanced, several battle priests rushed me.
I swung Ashurai without hesitation as I pressed forward.
They were all battle priests who could wield sword auras, but their skills were leagues below mine.
[Facing three 6-star battle priests at once!]
Whoosh! Slash!
I lopped off all three heads at once, then charged ahead relentlessly.
Soon I spotted an inquisitor knight surrounded by enemies.
His face was familiar, so I called his name as I closed in.
“Examiner Helmut!”
“You…!”
It was none other than Helmut Devansky.
The ironclad knight who’d guided me, Edwin, and Lieselotte during the enlistment exam had apparently returned to the brigade afterward.
“I’m with you.”
I zipped in with swift movement.
Slicing the throat of the battle priest targeting Helmut’s back, I took position at his side to fend off the surrounding foes.
“Examiner, how’ve you been?”
“Don’t call me examiner! The exam’s long over—we’re equals as knights now!”
“Fair enough, Ironclad Knight Helmut.”
Helmut’s sword aura looked ironclad, tough as steel.
Each swing sent battle priests reeling back.
“You seem even better than before. Eat something good?”
“I hit 7-star!”
“Impressive.”
“You think you’re the only one growing? I’ll reach 8-star soon and become a no-mark!”
Helmut’s tone was as stiff as ever, but I could sense his joy at our reunion.
“Sion! I’m heading up to support Sir Kurt! You with me?!”
“The formation’ll collapse.”
“It’s already a free-for-all! Formations are meaningless now!”
“True enough.”
After dropping the surrounding enemies, Helmut and I began scaling the ravine.
Battle priests’ flame spells rained down from above, but I shattered them all with sword aura swings.
[Watch it. Assassins incoming.]
Bang!
I parried an assassin’s sneaking dagger with Ashurai.
I followed up instantly with a lethal strike, but an ominous sensation prickled.
[It’s him!]
Boom!
I deflected a sword bolt from my blind spot with my aura.
Turning, I saw the 8-star special grade-1 assassin who’d been lurking disguised as Retina.
“Ironclad Knight Helmut, go on ahead.”
“Sion, that’s a special grade-1 assassin. You can’t handle him alone.”
“I’ve got this.”
“…Stubborn as ever.”
Helmut left me behind and climbed up solo.
“Foolish, Sion Aleyas.”
The assassin stared at me coolly.
“Not scared for your life?”
“Couldn’t go all out earlier because of Edwin.”
Gripping Ashurai two-handed, I said,
“Time to settle it properly.”
“A mere 6-star mouthing off.”
No wonder he was so confident.
A special grade-1 assassin could take down even a 9-star with a solid ambush.
A 6-star was small fry.
“I’m not 6-star.”
“What?”
“With only two circles, I’m technically 2-star.”
“What nonsense. That’s impossible.”
“You’re just ignorant.”
“Quite the bullshitter.”
Muttering, the assassin raised his dagger.
A crimson-black sword aura pulsed, firing a compressed mana bullet.
A sword bolt for ranged attacks.
[An assassin with killer skills!]
‘Special grade-1s get good at head-on fights too.’
Replying to Igzard, I advanced.
Dodging the incoming mana bullets, I closed the distance.
“You…!”
The assassin’s sword aura writhed stronger.
Dozens of sword bolts followed.
A barrage.
“...!”
Boom boom boom!
Dust billowed from the impacts around me.
But none hit me.
I’d already activated Colorless Crimson Lotus, boosting my physical abilities in an instant.
“What?!”
Leveraging the surge, I accelerated.
The assassin’s shocked eyes were right there for the taking.
He frantically raised his dagger to block, but too late.
[Finish him!]
Ashurai gleamed blood-red amid the dust.
Igzard’s energy coated the blade in a flash, forging a sword aura rivaling my Archbishop Hausel days.
“How is this…!”
Slash!
The blade tore through the dust, snapping the dagger and plunging straight into the assassin’s chest.