Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: The Holy Sword Emerges
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The rumors spreading across the continent naturally reached Demorus as well.
Normally, Demorus wouldn't be swayed by mere rumors.
But...
"Take your seats."
The current rumor sweeping the continent was serious enough to convene the family head's council.
With a swish.
At the family head's command, everyone took their seats today.
"Report."
The family head's order rang out once more.
"I'm Falcon, captain of the 2nd Intelligence Unit."
With the retainers gathered, the middle-aged man introduced himself.
His face was utterly ordinary, but the odds that it was his real one were exceedingly low.
The intelligence units directly operated by Demorus handled information of the highest caliber and reliability.
They could even find out what underwear the New Empire's emperor was wearing that day.
"I'll explain the agenda for today's family head council."
Falcon spoke.
"The Holy Sword has appeared."
"......!"
A single phrase threw the hall into an uproar.
It was the rumor everyone had heard.
-The Holy Sword is in Zone 7.
But they'd dismissed it as baseless nonsense, too flimsy and far-fetched.
Now Falcon himself had brought it up.
"Ahem."
Even for Demorus, a Holy Sword was no trifle.
At minimum, a legendary item—perhaps even mythic.
"If it's a Holy Sword, what kind is it?"
"We couldn't determine that much."
If Falcon hadn't obtained it, no one else had.
"Hah, a Holy Sword at a time like this."
They were said to have vanished after the empire's fall.
A few were known to be in specific hands, but most had disappeared with the empire.
A Holy Sword's value was immense.
Not just its functional power, but its symbolism was enormous.
-Collect three Holy Swords, and you can found a church.
Even the street talk was at that level.
"We must claim it."
It was Jo Han, captain of the 2nd Martial Force Unit, who spoke.
He was infamous for pledging loyalty solely to Demorus, without backing from any other faction.
"2nd Intelligence Captain, what makes you certain of this rumor?"
"That's..."
Falcon replied.
"The Paladins are on the move."
"......!"
A Holy Sword alone was shocking enough, but now Paladins too.
"Who?"
The church's highest holy knights, the Paladins.
Their fame had once soared sky-high, but now it was infamous to a vicious degree.
To protect the church's persecuted faithful, Paladins had abandoned their principle of non-killing and massacred tens of thousands.
If the three great dark houses hadn't moved against them, the church might still exist in the world today.
"All the Paladins died in the Dark Crusade, didn't they?"
"...We believe it's a new Paladin."
The emergence of a new Paladin, unseen until now.
And the Holy Sword.
"Hah."
Everyone in the room at that moment sensed the church's unusual movements.
"Family head, what are your orders?"
The retainers asked Tejera.
"The New Empire's knight orders have already mobilized, and the Immortals moved yesterday."
"And Vinsen?"
"Silence."
Vinsen rarely intervened unless it concerned his own house.
Everyone with interest in a Holy Sword would move.
"We claim it."
Tejera's heavy voice echoed through the hall.
Thud.
The retainers bowed their heads and knelt on one knee.
This was a chance to earn great merit.
The question was who would participate in retrieving the Holy Sword.
And then.
"Zegar will go."
The successor candidate was chosen.
*
*
*
The contest for the Holy Sword offered massive merit equal to its enormous risk.
High risk, high return.
But in Demorus, no one dwelled on the risk.
"That snake-eyed freak is going, right?"
Only the return mattered.
They believed failure was a word that could never attach to Demorus's name.
"Yes. It's the family head's decision."
Sein clicked his tongue in disappointment.
'A Holy Sword, huh.'
He'd already heard the rumors.
Fortunately, being a lower-zone matter, he'd been gathering intel through Otolmeo and others.
"Demorus lives up to its name."
Demorus's intelligence unit had pinpointed the facts in mere days after the rumors spread.
Grip.
Even now, Bastion hung at Sein's waist.
There still weren't many swords that could channel his magic, so he wielded Bastion in serious fights.
'Too bad.'
Among Holy Swords, Bastion's performance was bottom-tier.
It was something Sein had originally discarded as useless.
"What if I went?"
"That would be treason."
"Hah."
Sein let out a hollow laugh.
Perio said,
"This is a mission assigned by the family head himself."
Tejera's command.
"Defying it and acting independently would be considered rebellion."
Defying it meant treason—execution.
That was why the other successor candidates and retainers, eyeing the merit, obeyed without complaint.
'Reassessing Gail just got urgent.'
Gail, who'd dared defy such a family head, suddenly seemed all the more impressive.
"Mm."
What a shame.
With all eyes on him, sneaking out was impossible.
Give up?
Heh.
That wouldn't be Sein.
"I'll need a double."
As Perio left, Sein muttered to himself.
"Derun."
At his call, Derun, guarding the door, entered the room.
"You called, Captain?"
"I need to step out of Demorus for a bit."
He would retrieve the Holy Sword.
He would be the one to do it.
"I need to check something."
Derun stood straight before Sein at his words.
Derun, who had joined him at the start of the final round.
Sein saw him as the first perk of this life.
Hum.
Sein's hand touched Derun's chest, emitting magic to scan his body.
"You've trained hard."
In the time unseen, Derun hadn't slacked; his magic felt stronger.
'Level early 10s.'
But inside Demorus, it wasn't nearly strong enough.
Derun's specialness lay elsewhere.
"You're just barely meeting the minimum requirements."
The dark world's heir, Sein Demorus's first life perk.
But it was a perk that was and wasn't a perk.
Slice.
The perk Sein had created.
Perhaps the reason Sein's blessing had awakened later than other candidates was the massive ancestral blessing it contained.
Crack, drip.
But Derun's existence was the bigger factor.
Without the labyrinth, even that would have awakened later.
Derun was...
"Drink."
A human made by Sein.
Sein sliced his hand, caught the flowing blood, and let it drip into Derun's mouth.
It was a secret art he'd learned in his researcher's life, classified as an awakening skill—but thanks to that life, he had a perfect theoretical foundation.
To survive in a wholly unfamiliar new world, Sein had devised the best method possible.
-Homunculus.
A tiny human in a flask.
A created human.
With a piece of Sein's soul transplanted into it...
Gurgle.
It could be called Sein's perk.
Moreover, a human born from this secret art...
"You know what to do?"
Nod.
Could mimic the master's appearance and abilities.
*
*
*
Assigning the 3rd Martial Force Unit had been a stroke of genius.
Thanks to it, he'd solidly secured Indus, Sis's connection—and Sis's varied contacts might seem insignificant to other successor candidates, but they were definite help to Sein.
For instance, Demorus's grunt worker.
"No one's ever been caught leaving, but no one's ever returned either."
He knew the rat hole used by those fleeing Demorus.
"That doesn't matter."
He'd leave as a nobody, but return as Sein Demorus.
Derun, wearing Sein's appearance, would go in his stead, since Sein had already received the mission.
They'd just switch back upon mission completion.
Ting.
Sein flicked a Demorus gold coin to him.
"No need."
But the grunt refused it.
"Sis saved my life when I was about to die. And now Sis says to think of you as him."
"I'll repay your help to Sis in your stead."
"That'll do."
Sein slipped out of Demorus through the rat hole.
Crunch.
He wasn't alone.
"Couldn't hold back and pulled this crap again."
Beside Sein stood another girl.
Cecil, cloaked in a robe.
"I've come to escort you."
Sein faced yet another arrival.
"Hah, even the imperial family wouldn't pull this stunt."
Freely entering and exiting Demorus territory was that difficult.
As mentioned, the 3rd Martial Force Unit had been a godsend.
"Indus."
Indus stood there, having received the mission.
"You can go with him. I've borrowed IDs and such from others."
No one would dare question a 3rd Martial Force member.
Even if they did, his long years in the unit and built-up connections would handle it.
"You're so filthy dirty, you need to become family head quick."
"That'd be great for us."
Indus now even traded jokes decently.
"Do you have a plan?"
As they exited the zone, Indus asked.
"It's impossible to just jump into the fray as an individual."
He handed over info gathered from other allies.
"Only Zegar, who's on the mission, the Immortal house, and the Paladin seem to know the Holy Sword's exact location and situation."
Even if the fray didn't scare him, not knowing where it was happening was the issue.
The mission would proceed in strict secrecy, and arriving after finding a big battle might be too late.
"I tried making connections with the 5th Martial Force Unit going out with Zegar this time, but..."
Indus had more ability than expected.
He could've done well in intelligence too.
"I have a plan."
Sein didn't need it.
He'd already planned everything while plotting his escape from Demorus.
"I'm..."
His destination was Zone 7.
"...going to find the Paladin."