Chapter 82
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Spring Was Coming
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I pulled the mana orb from the pouch at my waist.
"I command you—become a part of me."
Thump—thump—thud—.
The pure mana, built up over a thousand years of the monster snake's breathing, pounded fiercely against my heart.
The king atop the cliff, Edna Mero, had only gathered mana but never truly used it.
Its abilities were limited to those of an individual; living as a snake, it probably hadn't needed to wield mana often.
"My body kinda smells like reptile now..."
I'd stood on one foot atop the spire all night, cultivating my mana.
As expected, no mana accumulated in my heart.
But I could feel my mana vessel expanding dramatically.
"Will Cold Storm hit even harder? Maybe I can summon magma more often too?"
The chill in my heart eased a little.
Thanks to the Toolsep's medicinal power bubbling away until dawn, sending waves of heat through me.
"Ah, it's not morning yet. My body's just glowing."
The warmth from that thousand-year mana thrummed in my heart before spreading through my entire body.
Even after that, the excess power kept circulating through me over and over.
The searing energy scorched my lower abdomen, then wrapped around my heart again.
My philtrum burned from the hot breath snorting from my nose.
The medicinal surge raced from my heart straight to my head.
"Don't forget. Don't fear it. This medicinal power is mana I can wield soon enough."
My crown felt toasty.
I peered into every corner of my body.
It was like creaky joints freshly oiled.
Like tough muscle fibers slicked with oil between them.
I kept examining and observing my body.
I passed the time that way until the morning sun rose.
"Fuckin' thing, Boss! Get down here! Time to eat! Kukuchya made meat stew!"
"Ma'am, my name is Kruchak."
Ibu's bad with names, just like me.
Having stuff in common is a good thing.
Ibu and I turned into meat shuttles, hauling back and forth to the fortress nonstop.
Ogres showed up in the forests and fields, along with percula lurking about.
Every time, Ibu on his llama swung that axe and drove them off.
The hunters cheered Ibu's name and basked in the glory.
Then those same guys started dropping ogres with focused fire before we even had to step in.
"Aim for the vitals!"
"Hit the ankles—knock 'em down!"
Watching that, the noble creature uttered some holy words.
"Fuckin' thing. Like heroes."
As I stared blankly at the dragonkin gleaming in the sunlight, something new fluttered right in front of my eyes.
A nude, human-female form—body the size of my middle finger.
It hovered with three pairs of round, snow-white wings, each one five times its body length.
Silver dust scattered with every flap, then vanished.
Kuuu—.
Some perched on the llama's nose bridge, drying their damp wings.
They appeared all over the forest and plains.
"Ibu, what're these things?"
"Fuckin' thing. Silver butterflies."
Ah, not fairies, then.
"Hibernate in tree hollows or rock cracks, crawl out come spring. Achoo—fuck off! Ibu hates 'em. Makes me sneeze."
The silver butterflies swirled above the bandits' heads like light spirits cheering on the heroes.
Spring was coming to the plains.
After evening training, I checked our assets.
Kruk—who'd sworn to serve me—and my clingy sidekick Ibu got blocked by Loginin and Steron.
Kruk backed off obediently, overwhelmed by the Holy Knight's prayer, but Ibu just snorted.
He even shoved his axe at them.
"Fuckin' thing. Move?"
Steron and Loginin couldn't do much with Ibu.
"Axe away—."
"Understood. We'll go together. Please put the axe away."
"Lady, calm yourself."
They sighed as they dealt with him, but it didn't seem like they were just scared of the axe.
"Idiots don't wanna deal 'cause they might catch the stupid smell."
I don't want drama.
If it happens anyway, they'll sort it themselves.
I led the grumbling Ibu and the sighing Holy Knights to the warehouse.
In one shady corner, ogre parts towered like a mountain.
Obvious when you think about it...
Being able to handle the cold is a massive advantage.
With my abilities, I could refrigerate the ogre blood and parts included.
Life's full of twists... or whatever the saying is?
Anyway, you see all sorts of shit if you live long enough.
The curse that tormented me is a blessing here.
I'd hoped merchants would show up right away to trade for food, but no such luck.
"It'll take time. I'd love to scout the east myself, but we don't have the manpower. Shame."
"We've hunted plenty—no food worries for now."
I nodded without a word.
Their reasoning was sound, but a sudden thought had hit me too.
I realized it once more.
People's lives aren't mine to control.
Not their bodies, not their minds.
Why's that uncle acting like that? That aunt's going overboard. That grandpa shouldn't do that.
Why does my dad live like he does? And so on.
Humans just live how they want.
Me included.
In the end, the only thing that bends to my will is my own flesh.
Hey, at least that's something. A free man, unbound by anyone.
Loginin asked,
"Boss, don't you talk to the birds? Any news?"
I shook my head.
Silver Star's asleep—there's no way I can understand birds right now.
Couldn't tell them the truth anyway.
So I relayed info gathered covertly by our swiftest bandit scouts.
"Sounds pretty hectic out there."
Merchant caravans moving in a frenzy.
Armies mustering.
Families heading this way—some seeking old homes, others new ones.
Movements spotted in both Brad and Fiore.
"Whatever. No need to head to Brad or Fiore. Merchants—and anyone gunning for me—will come knocking on their own."
That was when Steron finally asked the question that'd been bugging him.
"The 'Water Holy Knight' talk must be a distortion, right? Quite the shock."
"What shocked you?"
"First off, acquiring divinity without the trials."
Trials.
Another name for the Starfalz Mountains.
To reach the northern continent ruled by the Queen of Frost, you have to cross the northern lands of the Eaar Continent.
Starfalz is the gateway blocking Fiore Kingdom from those northern reaches. It towers higher than the three barriers guarding Hellite, stretching east to west.
Even flying beasts struggle to cross. So high and rugged it shapes entirely different ecosystems on either side.
Every Holy Knight endures the trials of Starfalz to claim their divinity.
I'm the exception.
I got mine from Toolsep and starlight.
But Steron and Loginin don't know that.
"Second, wielding the power of water."
Unnecessarily dramatic about it.
Not even a big deal.
Luke had sealed the Insight Ability in his heart, suppressing it with mana to keep it from manifesting.
The guy was all about exploitation.
Steal the broad field of vision for intel gathering, wring out wisdom—but he'd chosen to piece info together with his own brain.
Only possible for a genius with that cold, calculating strategist side.
So Silver Star was a prisoner, locked in the dark jail of Luke Seid's heart.
But I'm different.
I spread the Insight Ability throughout my whole body.
It was a way to ease the pain from the cold side effects of hosting it.
Silver Star thinks I'm just nice, gifting it experiences...
Either way, I chose assimilation over confinement.
Chosen because I'm weak—not strong like Luke. A partnership of convenience.
Intent aside, it let me resist the cold to some degree.
So, circling back: Am I a water-attribute Holy Knight?
"I'm a Star Holy Knight. And a Water Holy Knight too."
The Insight Ability. The Frost Thoughts clinging to it. No water or ice there. Just chill. Pure cold. Humans are 70% water, so it condenses into droplets.
Explain in detail, and it's kinda funny—it's just condensation. My body cools, dew forms.
The cold freezes that dew solid.
Then I melt it with magma power, make water.
Tell these guys the full truth? Headache waiting to happen.
"No water-attribute ability. Just take it as a Holy Knight who uses water. Like you saw, the water use itself isn't fake, right?"
The visible effects are water and ice, but without a water-attribute power, calling me Water Holy Knight is misleading. I explained it that way and moved on.
"Understood."
Steron bowed, his face somewhat eased.
Wait, eased? Or just neutral gear?
Probably my silver tongue lacking.
"Boss, your eyes went blue again—."
"Ah, did they?"
Guess I activated Blue Eye unconsciously while sizing up Steron.
Deactivated it fast, but not before catching a glimpse of his feelings.
"Regret?"
Water-attribute Holy Knight.
Means nothing to me.
But to Steron—or any Hellite Holy Knights—it's the ultimate symbol.
"Heupf."
Hellite's first Holy Knight. The one and only water-attribute.
These fools hoping for his return or something.
"Heupf's dead. So am I."
This time, I decided to bring up what'd been on my mind.
Steron and Loginin had been surveilling the bandits behind my back.
Reason's obvious.
As Holy Knights, stressing this as Hellite sanctuary.
They broke their promise to me.
Time to send them packing.
How to open...
"This fortress is Hellite property, sure. But if it grows into a village—a city—does it stay Hellite's?"
Steron pondered deeply. Ibu scratched his ear canal with his pinky like it itched.
"Dull Loginin won't get it."
Loginin clasped his hands politely.
Yeah, you figured I was the dull one.
Hairless bear—honest and steadfast, but that's it.
"Built the fortress in Brad Kingdom territory from the start—that was encroachment. Why'd Brad let it slide? Going against the top Holy Knight means defying the Saintess. Brad feared Hellite, didn't claim ownership. And that's not all? Had to watch the eyes of continent folk worshiping the Saintess too."
"Drauven invasion had already abandoned the land."
Steron pushed back. Clearly defending Luke.
True enough, but ancient history now.
We're living in the present.
"Land's Brad. Buildings Hellite. Who's living inside? Hellite folk gonna move in? Steron—what's your take?"
"The Holy Kingdom grew by sheltering persecuted migrants. Now those folk prop it up. Tremendous pride in being part of it. Can't see them leaving Hellite's shadow."
Steron brimmed with pride himself.
Fine by me.
At least his view of his homeland's spot-on.
"I think the same. So consider this: Nearby Brad and Fiore folk gather, form a city. Who's the owner then?"
Steron looked like he'd been slapped.
"Never crossed my mind."
Figured as much.
That's the kinda worry for guys like me.