Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 030
Chapter Title: Saintess or Saint.
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They held a status equal to the Pope simply by existing, and at times, even wielded command over those above him.
In other words.
‘Absolute within the Church.’
The Church was currently in a state of complete collapse.
Its followers, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, had lost their faith, and its priests and holy knights, once numbering in the tens of thousands, had scattered to the winds, their fates unknown.
Fugitives.
Even among those whose survival was known, most had chosen different paths amid the shattered faith of long years.
Like Gallio and the Iron Cross.
And then, amid all that, a saintess appeared.
“…….”
Tarrian fell silent.
Arin’s arrival had brought the commotion in Tarrian to an end.
The lord and the guilds arrived late, leading their troops, but upon seeing Arin’s face, they clamped their mouths shut.
A problem that had arisen in Demorus territory.
If responsibility were called for in Demorus’s name, it wouldn’t just be a bloodbath.
However, Arin had settled the disturbance.
-We’ll let today’s events slide.
Because Sein was involved.
And from that, one fact could be gleaned.
This level of incident could be handled by Arin herself, meaning her position within Demorus was a high one.
In any case, Tarrian had regained its peace.
“…….”
Yet in the merchant house chamber, only heavy sighs and silence lingered.
Finally, it was Sein who broke it.
“There’s no way they don’t know the god is absent.”
It had been ages since the connection to Anhel was severed.
“And yet a saintess appears in the midst of that?”
The saintess’s emergence.
“It makes sense why the Iron Cross is rampaging like that.”
The faithful would think.
That Anhel had finally revealed himself.
Or.
“They’ll see her as a false saintess born of sin.”
A manufactured fake.
The Iron Cross probably thought the latter.
No.
“It might not matter either way.”
A single saintess existed who could somehow stir the crumbled Church.
‘Closer to the latter, though.’
Sein had already reached his conclusion.
The power emanating from this saintess was distinctly heterogeneous for one truly called a saintess or saint.
Utterly different from what he possessed.
Likely, she was a saintess manufactured over long years, just like raising priests or slaves, using the priests and Barus.
“The important thing is….”
Finally, Gallio spoke.
“That a vessel to contain Anhel’s will has been born.”
“So you were just another human after all.”
“In this age of chaos, a shepherd was needed to guide the lost sheep. Otherwise, far more blood would have been spilled.”
Barus fell silent as Gallio spoke in a hoarse, metallic rasp.
“But it seems it was all in vain.”
Milky gray eyes.
They stared straight at Sein.
“And now the shepherd has appeared.”
“You’re expecting too much.”
Sein let out a long sigh.
“So.”
Tap.
Sein flicked something with his finger.
There sat a girl gazing up at him with wide, sparkling eyes.
Her name was Cecil.
This was the saintess.
“What do you plan to do with her?”
“What can I do? It must be as you wish.”
Sein nearly spat out the curses rising in his throat.
“I’ll let it slide since you’re a dying old man. Keeping her around will just bring headaches anyway.”
If the Iron Cross had noticed the saintess’s existence, the rest would too.
Tarrian—no, Antara—would see no end to conflicts from the Church remnants.
“Killing her would be a waste.”
“……!”
Barus started at Sein’s words.
But Sein wasn’t finished.
“Take her with us.”
That was Sein’s decision.
Heh.
Sein curled up the corner of his mouth.
“If she’s the source of trouble, better to keep her close.”
Trouble meant experience points and opportunities for growth, after all.
Moreover.
“The Church? I’ll resurrect it.”
A chance to revive the broken Church.
It all hinged on.
“Do as you wish.”
Sein’s goals.
*
*
*
Barus seemed displeased with Sein taking Cecil, but he couldn’t defy Gallio’s will.
More than that.
-The witch has already laid eyes on the saintess.
Gallio’s logic was flawless.
-We, who can’t even face the Iron Cross, cannot protect her.
They had created her, but could not protect her.
From the start.
‘He must have planned to use the saintess to negotiate with Demorus or other factions.’
Gallio had schemed to borrow another faction’s power.
It had simply turned out to be Sein and Arin.
-A price will be needed.
Though created for a purpose, Cecil was everything to Gallio.
Sein was taking her for his own purposes too, but that would be the greatest protection she could receive.
Then a deal.
Then a price was necessary.
-I’ll give you Tarrian.
Antara’s largest slave merchant house.
-No.
But Sein refused.
-Hand over all of Antara.
Antara.
That was what he wanted.
-Antara is not ours.
-Then make it so.
Sein said that while looking at Barus.
Barus was lacking in many ways, but he wasn’t alone.
-I’ll show you how.
How to survive, how to wield holy power.
The greatest combat saint in Sanctuary’s history.
-Work with Otolmeo to offer up Antara. Then Cecil will be safe.
With that, the negotiation ended.
Without consulting the parties involved, but there was no need for that.
Sein stayed in Antara for a time, teaching Barus.
It was for Sein’s benefit as well.
Vmmm!
The holy sword Bastion.
To fully draw out its power.
“Urk.”
Sein groaned.
This had happened just from deploying the holy flame sword aura, the paladin’s symbol.
A mere 3 seconds.
That was how long Sein could maintain the holy flame sword aura.
Though the holy sword could convert mana into holy power, Sein’s own power was still woefully inadequate.
Moreover.
Crackle!
Sparks erupted from Bastion, coiling up Sein’s arm.
“You little shit…!”
The reason was simple.
“Don’t you listen to your master?!”
The holy sword.
Though Sein qualified as a saint, his heart was that of the Demon King.
The demonic energy leaking unwittingly clashed with Bastion.
Thud!
Blood burst from Sein’s forearm.
“Haa. Haa.”
This was Sein’s homework.
In the past, Sanctuary was just a game.
With various energies present, he could toggle them on and off to use what was needed, but now he had to meticulously control them with his mind and body.
During the time trapped in the tutorial, he’d grown accustomed to mana and thought it possible, but.
Zing!
It was still too much to wield perfectly.
Yet he was certain.
“You’ll lose.”
If Sein could fully master Bastion.
“I’ll win.”
Then Sein wouldn’t merely become its owner.
“Come on, let’s see.”
He would transform into a being closer to perfection, even stronger.
“Well, if it doesn’t work, I’ll ditch it and find something else.”
Smiling, Sein gripped Bastion once more.
*
*
*
Over a dozen days in Antara.
During that time, Sein had taught Barus, conquered Bastion, and.
“What’re you staring at.”
Shared some interactions with Cecil.
The same went for Otolmeo’s Britz.
Otolmeo had beamed at Sein’s proposal and promised cooperation.
It was an information guild already on the brink of ruin.
With only three branches left, including the Tarrian one.
But now Tarrian, Antara’s largest slave merchant house, had promised cooperation.
However, the most crucial part was.
-Sein.
Sein.
-Sein Demorus. We bet on you.
Britz, bearing the guildmaster of Otolmeo’s will.
Otolmeo had decided to stake everything on Sein.
It stemmed from acquiring info that he’d defeated the Iron Cross’s vice captain, and apparently Gallio had given his word.
Moreover.
‘The witch.’
Arin’s existence.
Just the fact that Arin was his patron was reason enough for Otolmeo to stake his fate on Sein.
And finally, the time came to leave Antara.
“I’ve taught you everything I can.”
Now Sein was with Cecil and Gallio.
“Whether Barus can become a holy knight again, I don’t know, but he won’t go down like before.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
The old man, Gallio, smiled brightly.
“How goes your communion with the holy sword?”
Some thought Bastion was a demonic sword.
A holy sword destroying its owner’s body? It would be disqualified.
But not Gallio.
“I’ve heard Bastion is temperamental even among holy swords.”
One who knew of Bastion.
“You hold not only Anhel’s will.”
It was widely known that the Destroyer, Sein Archibald, wielded demonic energy.
“Not yet. But I’ll win.”
“I’ll help.”
Gallio said.
“As payment for taking the saintess.”
“The price was Antara, wasn’t it?”
At Sein’s words, Gallio merely smiled.
Rustle.
Gallio rose to his feet.
Wobble.
He staggered, on the verge of collapse.
If Cecil hadn’t hurried over to support him, he surely would have face-planted.
“It’s everything I have.”
Gallio approached, supported by Cecil, and extended his hand.
“…….”
Sein’s expression soured.
Rustle.
Yet he too extended his hand and grasped Gallio’s.
He knew what this was.
Impossible under normal circumstances, but with Anhel absent now.
As one qualified as a saint, Sein could do it.
Fwoooosh—!
Holy power raged like a storm.
It enveloped Sein, Cecil, and Gallio all at once.
“Guide of prophecy.”
“……!”
“Please, restore the light.”
At Gallio’s words, Sein closed his eyes.
This was forbidden magic.
A heretical rite passing one’s divinity through flesh and soul.
“Isn’t this heresy?”
“At this point, what does it matter?”
Gallio smiled brightly.
Crumble!
His flesh began crumbling into dust, slowly fading away.
This was the end of the archbishop who had guarded Antara for nearly a century.
Grip.
“I win, you bastard.”
Bastion began to obey.