Chapter 65
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: I'm the Captain
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Ah, I remember now.
If Divine Explosion is an auxiliary skill that enhances physical and mental abilities, then Divine Power Explosion is a pressure attack that condenses divine power and then detonates it.
'Probably. I don't know for sure either.'
If you overdo it, it could rupture eardrums or cause internal injuries, but if you control the intensity properly, you can limit it to just knocking them out.
Judging from Requiya and the rest of the fainted brothers' conditions, Steron had appropriately adjusted his power to merely knock them unconscious.
"What... It seems like it was to test me, but forgiveness isn't my call."
It's right to leave Steron's atrocities in the hands of Requiya and the unconscious brothers.
"You can sit and rest, or take Steron back to Hellite. I won't interfere no matter what you tell Asperan."
"We're not the winged lions."
"What?"
My steps, which had automatically turned toward Ibu, came to a halt.
"Explain in detail."
"We're not here on Asperan's orders. Our realm may be low, but we bear the most important duty of guarding the divine sanctuary. Even a vice-captain can't order the sanctuary guardians to abandon their posts."
Ah, right.
I know that too.
In professional terms, it's the chain of command.
In that case, there are only a few people who could order them to test me.
It could have been another Holy Knight captain, but as far as I know, only the Supreme Holy Knight can issue orders to the sanctuary guardians.
"Did the Saintess send you?"
"Yes, that's correct."
Roginin, who answered thus, thumped the area around his solar plexus over his armor.
Does this guy have acid reflux?
With a build that could digest rocks, it's surprising.
"Ahem! Seems like I've got some internal injuries."
Aha, he was the one who hurled earlier.
His esophagus must be burning, but whatever. It's not mine.
I shot him a look that said, "Man up. A little blood and you're whining?"
Roginin averted his eyes slightly, let out a long sigh, and continued.
"Lady El Ravina gave no specific instructions, but she asked us to check if you were safe."
Hmm...
Was she worried something might happen to her lover's body?
Since there were no specific orders, asking him won't yield answers.
I'll set that issue aside for now.
"So, Steron exceeded his bounds on his own...?"
"That's true, but I don't think Steron's actions were excessive."
"You're saying suddenly barging in and knocking people out isn't excessive?"
"The fortress where the disaster slumbers is one of the Holy Kingdom's sacred sites. They are intruders. Any Holy Knight of Hellite would deem them unclean."
Roginin pointed at Ibu and the thieves.
Ibu, who had been chewing jerky with a dumb look on his face, furrowed his brow.
"Fuckin' hell! Ibu fell asleep and woke up! When I did, there was a castle! And they call it a holy site on their whim! I haven't washed in years and I'm dying of grime! How dare they call the noble dragonkin unclean! I've lived this long and—fuckin' hell, argh!"
Ibu, grumbling viciously, clutched the back of his neck.
I don't know if he's noble, but he sure seems to have high blood pressure.
"You-you-you! Axe! Axe and—!"
Then Roginin's finger twitched toward the others, excluding Ibu.
His arm trembled from the internal injuries.
'Bear of a guy, but not arrogant. Quick on the uptake.'
Even in that moment, excluding Ibu—impressively swift situational judgment.
"Roginin, dismiss your armor and rest easy."
"Our armor isn't equipment."
Ah, is that so?
It's different from what Luke wore, then.
Come to think of it, Steron and Roginin's armor had the same design.
Overall silver-white, with a large silver tree engraved on the breastplate.
Their cloaks were also silver-white, without any patterns like Luke's.
"I heard from Luke. The Saintess watches the heavens and surveys the earth. So, I have no intention of hiding and impersonating Luke. Lies get exposed eventually, and that would harm the Holy Kingdom. I'm being careful not to bring shame to Hellite. So, don't interfere with my actions."
"The higher-ups will think differently."
"Who do you mean?"
"Lady El Ravina, of course, along with the council of elders and the other captains—they're all watching."
Roginin said, looking up at the sky.
Beneath the sky ready to pour rain any moment, various birds circled.
Only the blue and yellow birds that particularly followed me perched on the walls, gazing down at us.
Those fellows rank high among birds.
Roginin turned his gaze back to me and hesitated.
"Um..."
"Call me Captain."
I preemptively answered since he trailed off.
I'm quick on the uptake too, you know.
'Captain suits better than Captain anyway.'
I was Luke, but I'm not Luke.
Who I was doesn't matter.
Existing as myself is the only meaning in my life.
Captain.
Though born from casual discomfort, it was the word that let me fully exist as myself.
I was the captain who treated the thieves as pathetic humans.
The captain who washed the filthy beggars.
The captain of the demon dreaming revenge and the ronin.
The captain of the knight who lost his power.
"Yes, Captain."
Ahem. Good.
I'm the Captain.
From now on, I'll play the captain who gets formal with stuffy Holy Knights and corrupts them. Refuse, and you're a heretic.
Anyway. Hearing "Captain" from a Holy Knight—gotta journal this and hit the sack.
Ahem.
Keep clearing my throat.
Roginin scratched the back of his head over his helmet.
"I believe you'll soon receive a summons from Hellite."
"Not going. No plans to."
What would I even do there?
Righteous torture flashes in my mind—can't go, pal!
"You'll need to give an account of the situation. You're the one who knows the most about this incident."
This incident means Luke losing power and wandering.
No matter what anyone says, my take is right.
I crossed my arms, pondered briefly, and voiced my thought.
"I'll explain it to you, so you go explain it to them. Problem solved."
"Lady El Ravina has already explained."
Huh?
The Saintess did?
She explained?
'Ah, so the Saintess told these guys, that's how they knew...'
I thought I'd gotten sharper, but I'm still far off.
Now I get why Steron mentioned the fake captain.
'But how did the Saintess know I'm a fake?'
The others besides Requiya and Ibu wouldn't believe it if told?
Maybe before leaving, Luke muttered at the moon as a message to Ravina?
Like satellite communication?
Does that make the moon a satellite?
'Sounds plausible. Goosebumps.'
Ah, the moon is a satellite.
Brain short-circuiting.
Anyway, did the Saintess only tell these guys my secret?
As I struggled for words, Roginin added.
"Lady El Ravina already knows the situation."
"If the Saintess explained, why still need my account? Then Hellite shouldn't have reason to care about me, right?"
Roginin sighed deeply.
"The elders and commanders don't believe it."
"Why? Isn't the Saintess's word supreme?"
I asked, but could roughly picture it.
These sanctuary guardians believed the Saintess because of their divine realm, while the elders didn't.
'Makes... sense.'
Even if another world, they're human too.
Those who trust accumulated time often hide in stubbornness.
Rejecting others for various reasons, physical or psychological.
Roginin's mouth mumbled something inside the helmet before closing.
Seemed painful to say.
'Simple yet complicated world. Holy Kingdom has folks who don't trust the Saintess.'
Silver-grade Holy Knight in divine realm terms.
Even facing him, conversing, I couldn't peer into his intentions or feelings.
The wall of divinity blocked his heart.
"You've shown astonishing growth, but you'll soon hit a wall."
Roginin changed the subject.
Blocking my reluctant question, assuming I'd visit Hellite as natural.
"You mean a wall like yours?"
No doubt, Steron and Roginin were at the peak of Silver realm.
The divine power they emitted was beyond my imitation.
Without Toolsep, I couldn't have pushed my physical abilities to the limit or toyed with Steron and Roginin.
I ordered Roginin, who scratched his head embarrassedly.
"Tell me in detail about the trials."
I'd extracted nearly all teachable knowledge from Requiya.
Requiya knew general info on Fiore Kingdom and some on Eaar Continent, but little on Hellite.
The process wasn't pretty, but meeting Steron and Roginin would help me.
As another knowledge source.
"Only the qualified receive revelation to undertake the trials. Passing trials beyond Silver grants one authority from the Saintess."
Ah, I know that.
An authority not born of nature, creatable only by Hellite's Supreme Saintess.
"Divine Compression, right."
"Correct. It's essential to grow stronger. Trials get harder ascending to Gold and Platinum realms."
Anyone with divine power can use Divine Power Explosion or Divine Explosion.
I can too. Ahem.
My vessel is small, so power's weak—haven't used it much, no need.
'Combining Divine Compression and Divine Power Explosion can level a village to dust, I heard?'
Only possible at Gold realm.
Gold realm—what is it? The fearsome realm granting Holy Knight Captain status.
Become captain, command anywhere from hundreds to thousands of Holy Knights.
'Holy Knight subordinates... Real Holy Knight Captain... Sounds badass.'
Tempting words make my nostrils flare.
Screw it, might as well sightsee Hellite, see the Saintess's face—
'They say she's stunning.'
While I'm at it. Ahem.
Feeling Roginin's stare, I cleared my throat.
"How many times have you challenged the trials?"
"Twice, both failures."
"Trials differ each time, I assume."
"You know a lot."
"I'm the Captain."
Captain, but anyway, Captain.
Fake, but still Captain.
"The first trial was relatively easy. But I—"
Roginin's first trial was collecting a hundred creatures called Kungya.
Kungya resemble dragons, slightly larger than cats.
Tiny wings like boogers relative to body size, yet they fly, classified as birds.
Kungya inhabit Eaar Continent widely.
Their hallmark: spewing fire with every cough.
Thus blamed for wildfires.
"Screaming and spewing fire, I caught ten before quitting. Burned my arm then. Kungya fire melts rock, and I lacked proper authority to counter—"
Oof, boring.
Roginin's a good kid, but no gift for storytelling...
Still, I listened patiently.
Didn't want to hurt the seemingly nice guy.
Well, I'd already injured him internally, but is that my fault? He fought hard and got hurt. Yeah, even if he drops dead, not my fault.