Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Chain Reaction
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Fifteen-year-old Rinen was an apprentice soldier in the fortress village of Dalton.
He had been forcibly drafted to defend the village, but he harbored no regrets. He had no intention of abandoning his hometown and fleeing, and the army of the dead had already closed in right up to their doorstep.
And he had confidence in himself.
Though young, Rinen possessed the greatest strength in the village. His ability to move heavy objects or endure for long periods left those around him speechless.
But war did not take human form.
Skeletons, corpses, and monsters pieced together from skeletons and corpses.
These swept through everything in the fortress in a single moment.
Ten minutes into the battle, the leatherworker from next door—who had been laughing boisterously just yesterday—had his head cleaved off by a skeleton soldier's sword.
By the fifteen-minute mark, his same-age friend, whom he had grown up with like a brother, was swallowed alive by a massive monster. The soldier who had given him a spear and taught him basic spear techniques was buried under dozens of zombies, vanishing without even leaving a trace of his form.
Rinen could do nothing in any of those moments.
All he could do was despair at his own powerlessness.
The spear he desperately swung had long since been reduced to just its shaft. When he came to his senses, he was pinned down by three zombies reeking of rot.
Kyaaak!
They lunged first for his face, trying to tear into it.
When Rinen hurriedly shielded his face with his arms, they indifferently bit into his forearms and chewed on his living flesh.
Crunch.
Rip.
Chomp.
Ahh. So this is how I die.
If there really were a god, if miracles truly existed, it would be nice if one happened right this instant.
As his consciousness faded, a miracle truly unfolded before his eyes.
Flash!
A dazzling bolt of light descended from the sky.
It turned the zombies gnawing at him into ashes in an instant.
What is this?
At first, he couldn't comprehend what was happening.
Groaning as he lifted his head moments later, he saw a boy on a white horse who had somehow entered the village leap down from his mount and shout,
“Bring them to me!”
Then, the boy suddenly rushed over to him, seized his arm without warning, and yelled,
“I can heal you! So select all the critically wounded and bring them to me!”
In that moment, a translucent light gently seeped into Rinen's mangled arms.
At the same time, the bleeding stopped, and the torn flesh began to regenerate.
How could such a thing be possible?
To Rinen, it was a revelation that transcended mere miracle.
-As per your wish, I have bestowed a miracle upon you. From now on, you must fight for that boy for the rest of your life.
“Yes……. Understood……. I will…….”
Rinen barely managed to respond to the hallucination-like voice before losing consciousness.
Much later, when he regained his senses, he learned that the boy who had healed him was none other than the empire's youngest prince, Claude.
It was also Claude who had purified the necromantic army overwhelming the village in a single burst of light. Rumors swirled that the prince's reputation was so poor that heated debates were raging among the people over this.
-Such a wastrel performing a miracle like that? It doesn't add up!
-Maybe the rumors got twisted somehow?
-Claude purified a necromantic army with light? I'll believe that when I'm dead and buried!
But such rumors meant nothing to him.
He had witnessed it with his own eyes on the scene and experienced it with his own body.
A miracle.
That miracle had even transformed him.
Upon regaining consciousness, Rinen instinctively sensed that his body had changed.
A new power.
The spear in his hand became enveloped in light.
If this hadn't happened, he would have lived out his days as a mere lumberjack or miner and died.
But the miracle he personally experienced had drawn out the special power hidden deep within the boy's body.
He still couldn't pinpoint exactly what ability it was...
But one thing was certain: whatever that power was, it would be used solely for the prince who had saved his life.
* * *
Four days after the necromantic army was wiped out.
The Imperial Council Chamber in the heart of the palace buzzed with heated debate over Claude.
“So, the prince is about to enter the palace soon...”
“I still don't understand all this fuss. Claude wiped out the necromantic army? Of course he did—he took the knights with him, didn't he?”
“But those were the Guardian Knights, weren't they? Surely the Grand Duke knows that...”
“Ahem, are you saying the Regent Prince's decision to assign the Guardian Knights was mistaken?”
“N-no, that's not it. Haven't you heard? Prince Claude annihilated the enemy all by himself, without any help from the knights.”
“Do you really think that's possible? Is the prince an Arch Wizard or a Knight Master? Even a Knight Master couldn't take on thousands of necromantic soldiers alone.”
“It's hard to believe, but it's confirmed fact. Apparently, he awakened holy magic for the first time on the battlefield.”
“Holy magic heals wounds or enhances physical abilities, doesn't it? How does that wipe out a necromantic army?”
“Rumor has it the holy magic His Highness awakened is one of the grand holy magics whose lineage was thought lost...”
“What? Turn Undead? Nonsense. Isn't that just a legend made up by the priests? If it existed, why would necromantic armies still plague this land?”
“But there are so many witnesses... Speaking of which, why hasn't Prince Jess arrived yet? We can't discuss rewards for Claude's achievements without the Regent Prince.”
Jess was supposed to have entered the chamber over thirty minutes ago as scheduled. One of the debating ministers glanced at the firmly shut doors of the chamber and frowned.
“That's obvious. He's probably so thrilled by his little brother's victory that he's running late with preparations. Anyway, what special reward is needed? Just grant him some territory and silver as per custom.”
“It's not that simple. Beyond the silver reward, he'll be granted an official position, won't he?”
“An official position? For that wastrel? You should recall what he did in the palace last year. More importantly, shouldn't we conclude the matter of Prince Albert and Baron Fennell's ‘disappearance’ that's been dragging on? It's obvious to anyone they're dead, but the imperial family hasn't issued a verdict yet...”
At that moment, the doors to the grand hall swung open, and a group of people poured in.
“Oh, finally.”
“Wait, who are they...?”
Everyone first assumed it was Prince Jess's entourage.
But the newcomers were all priests clad in white uniforms. Especially the one at the center wore robes adorned with gold trim and a special mitre.
“High Priest!”
“High Priest Esix? Is it really him?”
“Why has he come from the grand temple all the way here...?”
“What's going on? Was there a scheduled visit from the temple today?”
The ministers panicked at the unexpected turn. Meanwhile, the High Priest, accompanied by eight senior priests, stood at the center of the chamber and smiled warmly.
“Greetings, brothers. I'm grateful to see all you noble and petty officials upholding this great empire gathered here.”
“Well, it's the regular council time...”
“What brings you here, High Priest?”
“I came upon hearing that Prince Claude will soon arrive here.”
Esix spoke as if it were the most natural thing. Though ninety years old, the elderly priest stood ramrod straight, his voice full of vigor.
“I assume you've heard the news. I am here to welcome Prince Claude, offer congratulations for repelling the necromantic army, conduct a brief verification rite, and bestow upon him the ordination of Saint.”
“Ordination of Saint?”
“What's that? I've never even heard the term before.”
“A Saint is a title granted to one who performs impossible miracles through the blessings of the five gods that formed this world.”
Esix turned to the ministers and explained calmly.
“It's no surprise you don't know it. The last such ordination was over 320 years ago.”
“320 years ago...”
“If the miracle in Dalton village of the Elstone Earldom is true, then Prince Claude deserves the title of Saint. He awakened holy magic overnight without any priestly training and revived one of the grand holy magics whose transmission had been severed.”
“Grand holy magic? So Turn Undead truly exists?”
“Of course.”
Esix beamed.
“But no priest has reached that realm in centuries. Ancient records state that even a priest who attains Arch Priest must undergo sixty more years of dedicated training to barely achieve it. Yet reaching Arch Priest alone takes decades—how could anyone sacrifice another sixty years?”
“Exactly. Human lifespans make it impossible...”
“So ultimately, using Turn Undead requires a miracle from the gods—that's the polite way of putting it.”
“How could Prince Claude wield such an extraordinary spell?”
“Prince Claude testified that upon seeing innocent villagers swept up by the necromantic horde, Turn Undead activated instinctively. This is undoubtedly a miracle he awakened himself through the blessings of the five gods.”
Esix's voice began to rise with excitement. Looking around impatiently as if eager to proceed, he said,
“Of course, I plan to report the ordination procedures and verification process to the Regent Prince first. But where is the Regent Prince? He hasn't entered the chamber yet?”