Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: The Guardian's Role
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Candidates from the main family don't get assigned a guardian.
Only those from branch families could have one.
The candidates had to survive without even knowing they were Demorus until they reached a certain age.
Guardians existed to bridge that gap—the difference from main family members and the knowledge they lacked.
"I guess I'll have to play the role of guardian for a bit."
That was the role of guardians.
The path of the candidate.
Before arriving at the three great organizations, they spent anywhere from a few months to a few years with their guardians, learning much from them.
Sein had learned a great deal from Arin as well.
"I nearly died feeling wronged, but it's a relief."
Now he understood.
He had been far too lacking.
Grgrgrk!
The raging air currents.
Within them.
Papat!
White legs stretched out, trying to tear Sein apart.
But it was merely an afterimage.
Pashit.
Sein, now even faster than before, stood behind Arin's back.
Sssk.
Sein smiled.
But the Sein standing behind Arin could not see.
"Nice."
That Arin was smiling too.
Kwaang-!
At last, Arin began properly fulfilling her role as guardian.
"...Impressive."
When the spar ended, Arin was genuinely awed.
"To think you've raised your mana usage rate that high."
There were almost none in the world who could wield their total mana.
If split into tiny pieces, one could use all their mana, but considering the power output at once and its applications, even masters barely exceeded fifty percent usage.
That was especially true for those born into the underworld or great bloodlines.
Their mana reserves were too vast, and blessings like abilities often hindered their own growth.
But Sein's mana usage rate seemed to surpass seventy percent.
"I had a realization."
Sein said.
"That I'm not all that different from you all."
The boundary between game and reality.
The moment that worry crumbled, he realized.
'I'm a player, but not just a player.'
The training methods that only worked on NPCs would work on him too.
A being that combined every advantage of NPCs and players.
'That's what it takes to be a cheat player.'
That was himself.
"I can see what you've reached."
Arin said.
"But this alone won't make you the head of the Demorus family."
What Sein had shown was indeed the power of an absolute powerhouse.
He would be greatly acknowledged anywhere he went right now, and considering his future potential, it was astounding.
But Sein was of the Demorus bloodline, the one to become family head.
"I've heard the stories."
Arin said.
"You've awakened your blessing."
The awakening of the blessing.
"...Didn't I tell you to come at me with everything?"
Arin's aura shifted completely.
It was as if the previous spar had been her going easy on him.
Kukukuku-!
She began emitting mana powerful enough to shake the citadel.
"Right. The founder's blessing, was it?"
"So the rumors were true."
Only a very few had seen Sein's blessing.
It was because Lasiel, who knew the truth, had controlled information about the blessing Sein possessed.
The founder's blessing was a great power, but it could draw too much attention.
"Why aren't you using it?"
"Honestly, I can't control it well."
That was why Sein hesitated to use the blessing.
Even when he trained with it, the blessing bounced around like a madwoman, trying to destroy Sein and everything around him.
An uncontrollable power was no different from poison.
He thought he needed more time to use it properly.
"Bring it out."
Arin was telling him to draw out that very blessing against her.
"That's what I, as your guardian, must make you do."
Wung!
The raging storm seeped into Arin.
Her eyes grew even calmer.
She had to acknowledge it.
"I'll guide you to proper use of the blessing—and its full opening."
That the Arin before him was someone the current Sein couldn't defeat even at full power.
Grgrgrk.
Darkness erupted from beneath Sein's feet.
'Corruption.'
Sein activated his blessing.
*
*
*
Arin, who had no choice but to be incredibly busy, sparred and talked with Sein without rest, as if cramming all her backlog of lessons at once.
It was exactly what Sein had hoped for.
"I thought... it'd take at least a month."
Arin let out an uncharacteristic hollow laugh.
The opening of the blessing.
It meant fully unleashing the blessing's power, bringing it into contact with the darkness already permeating the world.
Thereby infusing the blessing with dark properties and strengthening its abilities.
-Those who inherit the underworld's blood awaken their blessing before turning twenty.
For the great bloodlines, awakening the blessing was easy.
However.
-Of them, only one in a hundred succeeds in opening it.
Only a tiny fraction succeeded in opening their blessing.
Even among main family members qualified to be successor candidates, only those who succeeded in opening it.
They, who were influenced by the blessing from birth, awakened it, and trained under it, had to invest over a decade to barely achieve opening.
Yet Sein.
Fiddlest.
"What do you take me for?"
Succeeded in less than three days.
"Is there a next stage?"
"That's not something I can teach you. You have to achieve it yourself."
"Then we're good."
Since there was one.
"Alright then...."
Arin shared many stories as well.
About blessings, Demorus, the family head.
"Regarding the New Empire."
Secrets.
Things other guardians wouldn't dare mention, Arin told Sein without hesitation.
She was his guardian and his partner.
"Well, it feels like handling homework."
That was what Sein felt from Arin's attitude.
And only because it was Sein.
"How long will it take?"
He had also noticed the reason.
"It might take at least a year."
How much time she had to clear out.
"Sein."
Arin called to him.
"The continent's situation is far from normal."
"It's always been crazy, hasn't it?"
"That's not what I mean."
Arin said.
"The church's aggression, those white-masked ones you mentioned."
"......"
"The secrets the underworld is hiding are increasing, and movements in the dark districts are unusual too."
Things Arin could know because she roamed the front lines.
"Something massive is about to begin."
"Just what I hoped for."
Sein replied.
"To uproot a tree that's rooted too deeply, you shake it first. If others do it for me, all the better."
"I suppose so."
Swipe.
Arin pulled something from her sub-space and handed it over.
"...What's this?"
Even for Sein, it was an unfamiliar item.
Shaped like a small orb, it held an indescribably vast amount of mana, and seemed to contain something inexpressible just from that.
"I don't have many myself. It's called a soul stone."
"......!"
"The last gift from me as your guardian. You should know its true value. Next time..."
Arin smiled faintly.
Her smile seemed to shine like light.
"Let's meet under different qualifications."
Not as successor candidate, but successor.
Above that.
*
*
*
"We permit Jagar's return."
In the reconvened family head council, Jagar was released from confinement.
He had recovered his strength with Cecil's help, and his support faction had protested his return.
"If you've stained the Demorus name with shame, it's also your duty to cover it with glory. This is your final chance."
"I am grateful for the family head's mercy."
Unlike before, a somewhat more solemn Jagar bowed properly in response.
"...With the Immortal family...."
The long-overdue family head council dragged on for quite some time.
Sein, participating, felt many things had changed since before.
The attention on him contained much goodwill and curiosity.
"Sein Demorus. What are your thoughts?"
Even the family head's evaluation of him had risen.
It was rare for the family head council to ask a successor candidate's opinion.
Jagar had never experienced it; only someone like Kulran or Tampia might.
"I judge it best to move first. We are, after all, no one else but..."
He showed proper decorum.
"...Demorus."
And discarded the unnecessary.
"Excellent. Incorporate it into the strategy."
At Tejera's words, the retainers affirmed.
The council's end.
"We resume the missions on hold."
It was the declaration that Demorus, who had held back after the holy sword incident, would fully resume activities.
"Prove what exists before the name Demorus."
"Glory alone, my lord."
The retainers replied in unison.
"Before the name Demorus lies glory alone."
"Indeed."
The family head council ended.
"......"
On the way out of the grand hall, the gazes of the other successor candidates reached him.
Kulran: indifference.
Tampia: curiosity.
"Got something to say?"
Barze: goodwill.
"Nah! Not yet."
Barze answered Sein's question.
"Don't be annoying, get lost."
"Let's grab a meal sometime!"
Annoying bastard.
"Lord Sein."
As he exited the family head's castle, Perio approached and called to him.
"What's up?"
"There were a few meeting requests."
"Decline them."
It was better to keep them wanting more for now.
"Yes. And..."
Perio said.
"A mission request came in."
"Mission request?"
This was ambiguous.
What successor candidates received were mission assignments.
From the numerous requests coming into Demorus, the family head selected those suitable for candidates and assigned them.
A request meant.
"A designation?"
It meant a designated mission.
One he had accepted before.
That was when he obtained Ballac.
"Yes."
Perio answered.
"Where's it from?"
Someone capable of submitting a mission to Demorus would be quite something.
He couldn't help feeling a bit interested.
He wanted to escape this stifling main family anyway.
"District 2...."
Perio said.
"It's a request from Lady Remy Borfeo."
Sssk.