Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: An Unwelcome Alliance
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The voice that filled my head was Alkheim's.
It seemed he'd noticed some kind of deal being made about him.
*‘He can hear sounds from quite a distance, but his sight is very limited.’*
I had tested the range of Alkheim's perception while he was trapped in Calipe.
Since I'd tried it naturally during my daily routine, the results should have been fairly accurate.
It seemed he'd read the subtle atmosphere between Mac and me and deduced the situation.
After all, suddenly communicating through writing would look a bit strange.
"It's none of your business, so stay out of it."
I feigned nonchalance, turning my back and pretending to open the booklet.
Then, I felt a strange gaze from behind me.
I pretended to read the material, then suddenly whipped my head around.
"Oh... so it can fly?"
Calipe was floating in mid-air.
This phenomenon was likely caused by Alkheim's influence.
He usually flew to my waist on his own.
But that was just Calipe's ability, recognizing me as its master.
A function of the sword itself, unrelated to Alk.
—*Shall we call it a talent I picked up while stuck in a place like this? What can't you do in a thousand years?*
"So you're saying you learned to fly while desperately trying to escape."
—*Something like that...*
*Clang!*
Before Alkheim could finish sending his thought, Calipe clattered to the floor.
It seemed he'd lost track of time while responding to me.
*‘Heh! So there’s a limit, is there?’*
Of course, I couldn't take what happened at face value.
Considering his usual sinister nature, even this could be a deliberate ploy.
For instance, pretending there's a limit to his flight time, then using an opening to pull some strange stunt.
*‘But if that were the case, hasn't he already had plenty of opportunities?’*
It had already been well over half a year since I started carrying Calipe.
We'd spent countless nights together; if he intended to harm me, he would have taken me out long ago.
I bent down to pick up Calipe from the floor and place it back on the table.
But as I casually reached for it, a thought flashed through my mind like lightning.
"Ah? Could this be...?"
Usually, when picking up a sword, you'd grab it somewhere slightly above the center of the scabbard.
That's where the center of balance is.
But there were times you'd grab it elsewhere.
Like if there was a ring on the crossguard to prevent the sword from slipping out.
When it fell at a perfect angle like this, grabbing the hilt was the most convenient.
"This bastard, this is what he was aiming for!"
—*Sharp little bastard. I've been trying for over half a year, isn't it about time you fell for it? Just fall for it, damn it!*
Of course, just because I grabbed the hilt didn't mean Alkheim could immediately take over my body.
I'd walked around just fine while holding it in the founding emperor's secret tomb.
But there was no telling what kind of trick this cunning bastard had prepared.
Hadn't he hidden the fact that he could fly for a full six months?
I shook my head firmly and grabbed Calipe by its scabbard.
"Forget it. No deal. I'm not handing over my wonderful, precious body to some ugly dark spirit."
—*This rotten bastard, how do you know what I look like?*
"Judging by your reaction, you must not be much of a looker. Good-looking people usually just brush off comments like that. The confidence of the haves, you know?"
—*...*
Seeing Alk's silent reaction, I grinned triumphantly.
Then, outside his range of perception, I opened the booklet Mac had given me.
But as I read through the text, my expression grew increasingly stiff.
I had thought that if I just had information on him, I could crush Alkheim and claim Calipe for myself.
However, the methods were far more difficult than I had anticipated.
*‘The first is a direct confrontation, and the second is resealing him somewhere else.’*
If I chose the former, I would have to fight the dark spirit within Calipe's inner mental space.
A battle against a transcendent being who has lived for countless eons.
What kind of madman would even attempt...
Ah! There was one, wasn't there?
*‘I almost committed a great disrespect.’*
The founding emperor, Troic Vertos.
That man had perfectly sealed Alkheim away.
The seal on Calipe had remained intact for over a thousand years.
Of course, a mediocre talent like me couldn't possibly do the same as such a legendary figure.
"No, why can't I?"
In what way am I just some average guy?
I recently defeated Kroll Karim, one of the top fighters in Corint.
In the Empire, they might even call me something like the Sword of Radiance.
But my confident expression quickly turned sullen.
My rapidly working brain had assessed the impossibility of the task, filling me with self-loathing.
*‘Hmm... on second thought, I am a little—no, a lot—lacking in many ways.’*
If I were to avoid a direct confrontation with Alkheim, the only option left was the latter.
Resealing him.
But even this was no easy task.
First, I'd need to find a vessel on par with Calipe, and it would also require an immense amount of energy.
*‘The problem is the sheer amount of power needed. Where on earth would I get something like that?’*
It wasn't just any power; it had to be controllable at will.
My Demonic Soul would probably be nowhere near enough.
A rough estimate suggested I'd need about a hundred masters at the level of the Acting Head.
Or I could suppress the dark energy with powerful divine magic.
But would the Kraus Theocracy willingly perform such a troublesome and difficult task?
"Then there's no solution, is there?"
Unfortunately, that was where the booklet ended.
Mac had added a note at the end, saying that much of the material had been lost due to its age.
I shook my head.
Just preserving a thousand-year-old document this well was impressive enough.
Especially one about the little-known Dark Spirit King.
*‘What should I do?’*
—*Phuhu! No matter how you pathetic humans put your heads together, you're all the same. Go on and exchange notes with that guy from before.*
Alkheim watched me agonize, sneering relentlessly.
As his taunts continued, a vein began to throb on my forehead.
*‘How am I going to screw this damn bastard over?’*
Now, I wasn't just trying to claim Calipe; I was racking my brain for a way to properly get back at Alk.
Anger truly is the source of human action, isn't it?
"Agh."
But agonizing over it alone wasn't going to produce a quick answer.
With a bitter expression, I slumped onto the bed.
Since it had come to this, I decided I would have to train on my own to one day attempt the first method.
*‘I was so focused on that frantic escape, I never got to properly process my realizations.’*
The fury of the Corint Royal Army, having lost their commander and spiritual pillar, was immense.
They hadn't given up, searching the area around the Merylkett territory even though they couldn't find a trace of the beast.
They were probably still at it.
Since I hadn't been caught yet.
In any case, reviewing that battle was something I absolutely had to do.
*‘How did it start?’*
Kroll Karim had swung that massive butcher's knife at me, right?
My grip was nearly shattered trying to block it.
I replayed the situation in my mind.
As expected, I could see that at every moment, I had fumbled around despite there being better options.
Of course, at the time, I thought I was making very level-headed decisions.
But the perspective of the one involved and that of a third party are bound to be different.
"Hooo..."
A white vapor escaped with each breath.
Reviewing a battle with a supreme master.
A good deal of time had passed, so it felt a little less real, but I was still able to gain some small insights.
It felt like my combat intelligence was rising, like data being accumulated.
Tiny realizations gather to eventually form a great understanding.
I began to take one step at a time on my journey toward the next level.
*Woooong!*
In response, my Demonic Soul resonated with a strange hum.
It was a phenomenon where my aura, influenced by my mental state, grew on its own.
How much time had passed?
*Flash—!*
When I opened my closed eyes, the simple view of the quarters Prixon used came into sight.
At the same time, a strange flash of light momentarily illuminated the dark room.
The aura that filled my body had manifested as a gleam and shot out from my eyes.
"So I did gain something, after all."
I was worried I might not get anything out of it, but it seems that was a needless fear.
Then again, such a vivid memory couldn't possibly fade so easily.
Even the battle with the Four-Armed Knight from much longer ago remained clear in my mind.
I had completed a mission of extreme difficulty and achieved some personal growth.
Now it was time to give my weary self the gift of rest.
"Alright, time to get some re—"
But the world always has it out for me.
Someone burst through the door and shouted.
"Ray!"
It was Prixon, who had left saying he was busy.
With an annoyed expression, I sighed deeply and stood up, ready to beat the hell out of him.
But his next words stopped me in my tracks.
"The, the Corint Royal Army has joined forces with the Second Prince's army!"
What kind of bullshit is this now?
* * *
I was back on the front ramparts of Ermac Fortress.
The moment I heard Prixon's words, all my fatigue vanished.
The reason was simple.
The moment the Corint Royal Army joined them, the tide of the siege would turn.
*‘The Second Prince's army alone could never capture the fortress. But what if their numbers increased dramatically?’*
The might of the Corint Royal Army, which I had experienced firsthand, was formidable.
Even for a mountain fortress, overcoming such a disparity in numbers would not be easy.
Moreover, the enemy still had far more top-tier combatants.
Our side might be better in terms of individual skill, but there was a clear limit.
In other words, it meant I couldn't cover all the gaps in the fortress's defenses by myself.
"This is a bit of a problem."
As I muttered this and looked around, I happened to see the commanders of the Third Prince's army.
Every one of them was staring at me as I came up onto the ramparts.
*‘Hey, why aren't you watching the enemy?’*
As I stared back in confusion, a few of them approached me.
It was Ellington, Adelle, and Sophia.
"Didn't you say the Corint Royal Army wouldn't be coming?"
Adelle Richter's question left me momentarily speechless.
That was exactly what I had said right after I returned.
"I know. I wiped out not only Kroll Karim but their entire command structure..."
What kind of army has a completely shattered chain of command?
It's just a mindless mob of soldiers.
The knights and soldiers drafted from various regions would have likely ignored their formations and tried to return home.
Even if some remained, they would have been fighting amongst themselves for power within the army group.
*‘Some strong controlling force must have emerged. But what could it be?’*
I scanned the enemy lines with questioning eyes.
Ellington and the others unconsciously followed my gaze.
But just then.
Sophia, who had been silent, pointed to a spot and raised a question.
"Isn't that... Kroll Karim's flag?"
"What?"
My head snapped in that direction.
*‘Crazy! How can that be?’*