Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: The Staff of Wisdom
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I couldn't be certain what the voice echoing in my mind was.
Only that it was likely related to the Black Dragon Divine Armor.
It had appeared suddenly after I'd put on the breastplate.
'Getting out of here is the priority.'
My infiltration hadn't been discovered, and there was still plenty of time before dawn.
But I left the chamber as quickly as I could.
To get the Staff of Wisdom to the Eastern Branch, I had to move fast.
Security still seemed incredibly tight.
But escaping was far easier than infiltrating.
The magic barriers and traps were already disarmed, so all I had to do was retrace my steps.
It was still late at night, and everything was silent.
I glanced back at the governor's residence and slipped out of Everdeen.
'Thanks for the meal.'
Erasing my tracks, I continued north until I reached the Deisol Wasteland, which bordered the Forest of the Dead.
From here, heading straight northwest would lead to the Marquisate of Pennant in the eastern Vertos Empire.
Reaching that point was as good as completing the mission.
Then, I suddenly sensed pursuers behind me.
"Even if they discovered the intrusion, they shouldn't have been able to follow me this far."
The Everfilt was a massive organization, home to the greatest mages on the Livius Continent.
But even if they had started the pursuit immediately, this speed made no sense.
It would have been the same even if Governor Felix, who was said to be at the peak of the third tier, had come himself.
Magic wasn't omnipotent, after all.
Three riders approached at a furious pace, beginning to swing long chains above their heads.
At the end of each chain were three large weights. They called this weapon a Scorpion Tail.
"Stop right there!"
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
I leaned sharply to dodge the flailing strikes, but the attacks were relentless.
The three of them took turns striking, leaving me no room to breathe.
Moreover, the conditions were not ideal for mounted combat.
They were all riding sturdy warhorses, while I was on an ordinary packhorse.
I was at an extreme disadvantage in terms of speed and stamina.
'First, I need to stop. Fighting on horseback is a bad idea.'
I veered to the right and swung a pure white object.
It was the Staff of Wisdom, drawn from my waist.
In truth, I had taken it out to see how my enemies would react.
I could guess their identities by how they treated the holy relic.
However, the result was somewhat different from what I had expected.
*Clang!*
When the Scorpion Tail and the white staff collided, a heavy repulsive force was generated.
The ear-splitting shriek of metal was an added bonus.
"Oh?"
Even without being imbued with aura, the Staff of Wisdom easily deflected the iron flail.
I thought it was just something carved from wood, but it seemed to possess a special quality.
That must be why the clerics of the Kraus Theocracy revered it as a holy relic.
The clash sent the rider on my right falling far behind.
I turned more sharply, kicked off my saddle, and leaped from the horse.
*Thud! Scrape.*
It seemed I had entered the Deisol Wasteland at some point, as the ground was covered in ochre sand.
Scraping my feet to find my balance, I gave the Staff of Wisdom a light twirl.
Just as I would with a sword.
At this, the three charging men hastily slowed down.
The lead pursuer's eyes glinted as he spoke.
His voice sounded as if he were suppressing immense anger.
"You! Do you have any idea what that is, to be handling it in such a manner?"
"This? It's just a wooden stick, isn't it?"
"Stealing something without even knowing its value... you truly are a damn fool. What did you do to Nelson?"
"Who's that?"
"Our agent who infiltrated around the same time as you."
"Him? He tried his best to break in alone, but he ended up burning to death. You should have sent someone with actual skill. A single glance tells me you lot are much stronger."
"..."
The man's eyes, barely visible through his mask, narrowed.
My sarcastic words seemed to have struck a nerve.
Even as I spoke, I was assessing their strength.
'One is at the peak of the fifth tier, and the other two are sixth tier.'
I couldn't be certain, but I could make a reasonable guess.
Even a single step makes a world of difference as one's tier increases.
"Words are wasted on you. Eliminate him and retrieve the Staff of Wisdom."
"Yes, sir!"
At the leader's command, the other two split to the left and right, twisting their iron rods.
*Click!*
With that, the length of their flails doubled.
It seemed they were adjustable weapons, adaptable to the situation.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
They began to form an encirclement, slowly spinning the weights at the ends of their chains.
Being long-handled weapons, the sound they made cutting through the air was formidable.
It felt like a direct hit would shatter my bones.
"Attack!"
"Hyaaah!"
*Kwoooosh!*
A total of nine weights swung toward me, aimed at crushing my skull.
The assault, accompanied by a heavy roar, was quite powerful.
But I had already grasped the trajectory of every attack.
*Swish.*
Moving with the principles of the Silent Flowing Sword, the white staff lightly struck them aside.
It was merely a tap to their sides, just enough to alter their direction, but the result was quite surprising.
*Clang-clang-clang!*
The shockwave generated by the Staff of Wisdom completely knocked the iron weights into an opposing trajectory.
"Aargh!"
The repulsive force was so strong that the man swinging the flail on the right fell with a scream.
His arm was bent at an unnatural angle.
It seemed to have broken, unable to withstand the impact.
"Oh! I felt it before, but this thing has a satisfying kick to it."
The Staff of Wisdom probably wasn't meant to be a weapon.
It had no handle and was quite thick.
But its effect on impact was highly satisfying.
Just swinging it was enough to send opponents flying, so there was no need to even use aura.
Still, I tried infusing it just in case, but the Staff of Wisdom repelled both aura and mana.
As expected of a holy relic.
'It's nice that there's no wasted energy. Just like that artifact Nelson was carrying.'
The fight was going so smoothly that I could afford to have some stray thoughts.
The remaining man also failed to withstand the repulsive force of the Staff of Wisdom and was knocked down.
Now, only the leader remained.
He stared at his subordinates, who were sprawled on the ground with broken arms, his expression complicated.
I pointed the Staff of Wisdom at him and gave a cynical smile.
"What's wrong? You're staggering."
"What are you talking about? When did I..."
"I was talking about the future!"
*Shwaaak! Clang!*
As the white staff aimed for his lower body, the leader reflexively brought his flail to block.
He didn't have time to swing the chain, so it was a last-ditch defensive posture.
But the power of the holy relic was far greater than he had imagined.
"Kuaargh!"
The numbing shockwave that penetrated to his very bones made the leader stagger as he swung his Scorpion Tail.
But without a stable lower body, his attack was nothing more than a meaningless flail.
Dodging the iron weight with a light movement, I jabbed with the Staff of Wisdom.
"See? You're staggering."
*Thwaaack!*
The leader took a solid hit to the chest and was sent sprawling backward.
He was wearing a sturdy breastplate, but it seemed to be of little use.
The force was so absurd that the iron plate had crumpled.
Having easily subdued the three of them, I casually slung the Staff of Wisdom over my shoulder.
"Now, shall we find out who you are?"
It was time to interrogate them and extract information.
But then, a strange vibrating sound reached my ears.
*Zzzzzing.*
I was just tapping my shoulder with it, but the Staff of Wisdom had activated.
"Hey, you crazy relic! At least spare the wielder!"
*Craaang!*
The unexpectedly triggered shockwave caused a brief commotion.
Fortunately, I was unharmed.
I had rolled away the moment I sensed the Staff of Wisdom activating.
After quickly dropping the damn white stick, of course.
In any case, the Staff of Wisdom was now being used for another purpose.
"So, there are factions in the Kraus Theocracy, and they're scheming to get this thing... Why is this so complicated?"
"Th-that's the simplest version I can give you."
Surprisingly, Nelson and these men had been sent by Bishop Del-Pero of the Holy Kraus Theocracy.
The one who had commissioned the Rantzverger Assassination Guild to retrieve it was his rival, Archbishop Mu-Ozent.
It seemed the Pope was about to name a successor, and they were both desperate to build up their achievements.
It was a more moderate version of the Railhars Kingdom's succession war, but the situation was very similar.
I looked disdainfully at the battered men and fell into deep thought.
At this, the pursuers' expressions grew uneasy.
"What?"
"N-nothing."
They said it was nothing, but it was probably because I was using the Staff of Wisdom as an armrest.
I'd already beaten people with it, so what's the big deal about using it like this?
I clicked my tongue and decided their fate.
"If you die by a holy relic, you'll probably go to that heaven you're always crying about. You can live there for eternity, for all I care."
"W-wait..."
The leader tried to say something, but the Staff of Wisdom was already swinging with terrifying force.
*Thwack—!*
***
"Target retrieved without any particular issues. Here you go."
*Thud.*
Back at the Eastern Branch, I placed the Staff of Wisdom on Dusk's office desk.
The holy relic, which was supposed to emit an auspicious light, was soaked in crimson blood.
The branch manager looked up at me with a dumbfounded expression.
"What is this... You didn't bring me the Staff of Wisdom; you brought me the Staff of Blood."
"Wipe it clean, and you'll see it's the real deal. I've personally tested its power."
"I don't think this holy relic was made to be used as a weapon."
"It performs pretty well, though."
"..."
With a small nod, Dusk called an agent over and ordered him to clean the Staff of Wisdom.
While the agents brought handkerchiefs and wiped away the bloodstains, I finished my report.
Of course, the highlight of completing a mission was the special bonus.
"When do I get my bonus?"
"You'll have to wait a bit. The amount is large, so it needs approval from the higher-ups."
"Come on, can't you just give it to me now?"
"Anyway, there's something more important than your special bonus."
"I don't care. I'll just take my money and go."
"Ahem! That won't do."
"Why not!"
"That's because..."
Dusk had suddenly turned serious.
When the normally playful branch manager hardened his expression, the atmosphere instantly grew heavy.
His naturally grim features seemed to amplify the effect.
I made a mental note to manage my own expressions better and asked a question.
"What's going on? Why so serious?"
The branch manager paused for a moment, then looked out the window and spoke.
"A summons has been issued from Black Scale Island."
"For you to bring this up so suddenly... Don't tell me I have to go too?"
"You do."
"Why?"
"Because the Head has returned."
*Thump!*
The moment Dusk finished speaking, I felt my heart begin to pound violently.