An Ancient Longing (7)
After the meeting ended and everyone had returned to their assigned quarters, Levia turned to Mint and the other women and said, “Well, I’m gonna go look around for a bit.”
The people who had already been living at the papal headquarters—excluding Cheska—had returned to their respective lodgings. Since the rooms were separated by gender, Noah, who looked like a girl on the outside but was actually a boy, had parted ways with them midway.
Mint had noticed Levia wearing a complicated, subtle expression throughout the entire meeting, so when she heard the words “go look around,” she thought, She must want to clear her head…
‘Clear her head my ass!!’
She didn’t think that at all. Levia had tried to sound casual, but to Mint it looked incredibly suspicious. It was a surprisingly sharp intuition. If Levia had known, she would have been impressed, thinking something like, That’s on par with or even better than my bullshit sensor.
“Really? I’ll come with you.”
That was why Mint demanded to tag along.
“Huh? No, it’s fine. I want to go alone. I need to organize my thoughts, and I also have something to talk about with this guy…”
-Gasp! Master wants to talk with me…! What kind of talk? I prefer physical conversation! No, that’s the only kind there is! Speak with your body! Uwooo…! Kkgek…!
When El-Asat reacted to Levia’s excuse, Levia immediately snapped the spear shaft without hesitation. A bizarre sound rang out, but the shaft of El-Asat remained perfectly intact.
“So, where exactly are you going? I swore during the meeting that I would protect you. Shouldn’t I at least know where you’re headed?”
Mint’s words were perfectly reasonable.
“Didn’t you say you’d watch over me, not protect me?”
“It’s all the same thing. Stop dodging and just tell me.”
Levia’s eyes darted around as she failed to give a proper answer.
‘That face clearly says she didn’t expect to get stuck right here.’
Without realizing it, Mint had reached the same level as Skadi and Cheska—the ability to read Levia’s true intentions just from her expression. Mint was certain of one thing: if she let Levia go alone right now, she would cause a massive incident.
The current look on Levia’s face reminded Mint of a very old memory. Back when Mint was Seol Bakha and Levia was Gu Gyumyung, this was exactly the face she made when they flipped an entire school upside down together for the sake of another close friend.
In short, Levia was currently like a bomb that had been holding back for a long time and was finally about to explode. Mint, who knew this state of Levia better than anyone, wanted to stop it if possible.
Unlike back when she was Gu Gyumyung—who, despite her eccentric behavior, still stayed within the bounds of a normal human—Levia now possessed power far beyond the category of humanity. Whatever happened wouldn’t be a mere accident; it would be a full-blown disaster or catastrophe.
When Mint glanced at the other women, both Cheska and Skadi seemed to have noticed that Levia was on the verge of causing trouble. For some reason, that fact didn’t sit well with Mint, but at least for now she was relieved.
However, what Mint had overlooked was that neither Cheska nor Skadi had any intention of stopping Levia.
“Master. How about bringing some tools? I prepared one last time that’s especially good at killing the mood.”
“Skadi…? What are you saying to Levia right now?”
After figuring out what Levia was planning to do, Skadi instead began egging her on.
“Lady Levia. You’ll need a guide, right? I’ll finish it quickly and cleanly. One hour of usage rights as payment will suffice.”
“…One hour of usage rights?”
Cheska, who was supposedly a knight escort, offered to guide her while demanding some incomprehensible compensation.
“Ah. I’ve been caught.”
Levia shrugged as if to say Guess I have no choice now and turned to Mint.
“You wanna come too?”
Mint was about to refuse. She believed she alone had to stop Levia from causing trouble.
“I’m going to beat up one of the cardinals. Let’s go together.”
Levia spoke about committing an absolutely enormous incident as casually as if suggesting a stroll. However, combined with her goddess-like beauty, the warm and bright smile she offered, the hand she held out, and the final touch—her head cutely tilted to the side with those sparkling, innocent eyes looking up—Mints mind went completely blank.
“Yeah! I’ll go!”
She had become an accomplice.
Let’s talk a little about the past. I think it’s something that needs to be addressed at least once.
As I’ve said to the point of exhaustion, until about half a year ago I was periodically targeted by assassination attempts. That “periodically” used to be so short that the Chaos Cult bastards who worked quietly in the shadows looked like fairies in comparison.
Skadi, who came to assassinate me and then, by her own words, experienced a change of heart thanks to me, once said that the continent had probably run out of skilled assassins. I couldn’t even laugh at that joke.
Because it was probably true—they really had run out.
Those skilled assassins? I had personally, directly, one by one, with great care, turned them into bodies that would make death seem preferable. I stopped counting once the number reached around three hundred, so no further explanation should be necessary.
I don’t particularly want to explain it in detail anyway.
It’s practically a miracle I didn’t develop neurosis or PTSD.
Around the time I recruited Skadi, it had become such a hassle that I left their disposal entirely to her. In a way, she was even worse than me.
I thought the reason the attempts had decreased was because they were being careful not to get caught after sending so many. But thinking about it now, it might have been because it had simply become difficult to find skilled assassins anymore.
A rather credible theory.
Anyway, if you cause that much trouble, even if I don’t try to catch the tail, the tail itself ends up waving right in front of my face as if saying, “Oh, you’re finally looking this way?”
Sometimes I would personally beat up the one who commissioned the assassination to find out who it was. Other times, the pain I (or sometimes Skadi) provided was so unbearable that they would spill everything themselves.
Ah. I didn’t need to separate those two sentences. They were the same thing, weren’t they?
Anyway. The client really went out of their way to make the request as convoluted as possible and laundered the payment so thoroughly that gold coins practically turned into platinum, but I still naturally figured out who was behind it all.
The eighth cardinal, Gregcio.
The middle-aged-to-elderly man currently held by the throat in my grasp. His body was painfully thin and his dark circles were so deep he looked like a shut-in, but those eyes—deep within those brightly shining eyes burned an ugly, viscous desire.
Just what was this man trying to achieve by pushing the eighth saintess candidate into becoming the actual Saintess? And how noble, great, and important did he consider that purpose to be that he had assassinated two saintess candidates and stolen the holy power of four others?
“Cough… Thirteenth saintess candidate…! Just what… are you doing right now!”
Well, I could find out what I was curious about starting now.
If I made him experience exactly what I had done to the assassins who had targeted me until now, he would spill everything on his own. If once wasn’t enough, ten times. If that wasn’t enough, a hundred times. Until his mind broke. Until his desires were crushed. Until he confessed everything, just like how an Indian rain dance is guaranteed to succeed.
And while I was at it, I might as well vent the resentment I had endured for eight years.
I usually repay what I’ve suffered twofold, but this bastard had crossed the line so far that even ten times wouldn’t be enough.
“So you’re Gregcio? Nice to meet you, you son of a bitch.”
“After doing something like this… do you really think you’ll get away with it!”
Wow~ Even while being choked, he enunciates so clearly. This guy is no ordinary tough bastard.
“You did all that shit to me and you’ve been fine until now, haven’t you? I should be fine too.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I will formally protest this matter to Cardinal Benedict!”
Kya, look at that audacity. Not even a flicker in his eyes. His acting had reached the level of the gods. This man knew I wouldn’t kill him because I needed evidence. So he was trying to get through this moment somehow and then take measures.
Aah… what a foolish human.
Has his desire blinded him so much that he doesn’t even realize what kind of being he tried to kill? Or maybe he simply never had the time to figure it out. He must have been too busy focusing all his nerves on cleaning up the aftermath.
Sorry, but I sometimes don’t think about what comes after.
“See this bracelet I’m wearing? What do you think it is?”
“How lamentable. The saintess candidate has lost her mind…”
“It’s the Holy Spear El-Asat.”
“Wh… what?”
Oh? Now his expression is finally worth looking at. Just look at that flustered face.
“El-Asat.”
Clink!
-Roar!
Master!
At my call, El-Asat returned from its bracelet form to its original spear shape and settled into my hand.
“Th-this is…! How is it already…!”
He seemed so shocked just by the fact that El-Asat was in my hand that he apparently couldn’t hear what the spear was saying. Or maybe El-Asat had made it so only I could hear? I should ask later while physically persuading it to cancel its choice of me.
But before persuading it, I should try using it at least once. It’s a holy spear, after all. It’s supposed to be on the same level as the Holy Sword, right? How could I not use it?
A real man doesn’t even look at the manual when he buys new electronics—he just turns it on first! I’ll learn the proper way to use the holy spear later. For now, I’ll use it my way!
I compressed and overlapped my holy power before pouring it into the holy spear, as if bestowing it with the holy attribute.
-Aah… This powerful, heavy sensation…! It’s time to return to being the true El-Asat…!
-Clink clink clink!
-Vrrrrrr!
El-Asat, now filled with my holy power, let out an ecstatic voice and began vibrating along with the sound of bells.
Once I judged that it had absorbed enough of my holy power, I lightly lifted it and slammed it down.
Thud—
The vibration that had been ringing through El-Asat transferred to the floor. A clear yet heavy sound echoed from where it struck, and the light of holy power spread out like gentle waves.
Just as I was starting to feel let down by the surprisingly plain effect—
———!
The sound vanished in an instant. The scattered light of holy power rapidly gathered back into El-Asat and then—
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!
It exploded.
An explosion powerful enough to swallow half the papal headquarters, let alone the building where the eighth cardinal was staying. Everything around the epicenter had been completely obliterated, except for the exact spot where we stood.
“Uh… um…”
Correction. From now on, I should probably think about what comes after a little bit. I think I just caused a massive incident.
“Aaaah…! I’ve gone crazy. I’ve completely lost it! How could I fall for that face and become an accomplice…! I’m sorry, Your Grace. Mom, I’m sorry…! I’m done for if I get caught…!”
Mint, who had come along, began screaming in despair.
Oh right. Mint was the daughter of a ducal house. This was going to cause a diplomatic problem. What do I do? I didn’t know it would be this powerful.
At this level, it’s not just on par with the Holy Sword—it’s way beyond it, isn’t it?
Fortunately, whether due to the holy spear’s effect or because my subconscious didn’t want it, there were no casualties. Everyone had simply fainted; no one had died. In fact, the injuries of the people who had been hurt during my surprise attack on Gregcio had even healed.
The problem was the completely devastated landscape… How the hell was I supposed to clean this up?
Mom, I’m sorry. I never imagined I’d still be causing accidents at this age (including mental age).
-Kkhh! Kkhhihihit! Art is an explosion! Aah! As expected of Master’s holy power! It’s electrifying! It’s always new! Master is the best!
The true accomplice behind this incident, El-Asat, was extremely delighted. A holy spear that enjoys turning its surroundings into ruins—isn’t this actually a demonic spear?
“Lady Levia, should we run?”
“Master, let’s hurry and run.”
For once, Cheska and Skadi’s opinions were perfectly in sync. It was a good suggestion. In times like this, speed was essential.
I checked Gregcio, who was still dangling from my hand. His eyes had rolled back and drool was dripping from his mouth—he seemed to have fainted from the aftermath of the explosion as well.
“Skadi.”
“I naturally brought rope. Shall I tie him up?”
“Please do.”
As expected, she understands immediately. At times like this, Skadi’s perverted nature (?) is actually convenient. I was about to say we should tie up everyone who had seen our faces and take them with us, but she had already noticed and pulled out the rope the moment I called her.
“We must finish within two minutes. Any longer and the chances of being discovered rise significantly.”
Cheska, who had received training at the papal headquarters since childhood, provided extremely helpful information about the manual for this kind of emergency situation (?). As expected of my escort knight! So reliable!
“You damn bastard! What are you going to do now! Even if you cause trouble, there should be limits! You destroyed half of a country’s imperial palace, you crazy bastard!”
Mint was grabbing my collar and shaking me. Since I felt sorry, I decided to ignore her. Still, I had to say something.
“You’re a girl now, so…”
Bam!
“Ouch!”
That hurt like hell. What a wicked woman.
“Is that what’s important right now, you crazy bitch?!”
I got hit right after saying something correct, so I felt unfairly treated.
Levia and her group thought they had kidnapped (?) everyone who had seen their faces. Unfortunately, there was exactly one witness left at the scene.
The reason it was possible was because this person hadn’t seen their faces during the surprise attack, but had caught sight of them from within the rubble after the explosion occurred.
After confirming that Levia and her group’s presence had completely disappeared, she crawled out of the debris and immediately fled.
“Huk… huuuk…!”
She ran and ran until she judged it was safe, then finally stopped and began gasping for breath.
It wasn’t just exhaustion from running that made her breathe so raggedly. It was closer to being unable to breathe properly because she was gripped by fear.
“Gregcio…! How dare a mere insignificant human deceive me, a member of the great Light Clan?”
Her mouth expressed rage, but her body was honest. Overcome with fear, cold sweat poured down her body and she trembled violently.
“D-didn’t you clearly say there was no one who could draw out the power of El-Asat!! Didn’t you say it was in a sealed state…! To dare… to dare lie to this Asurta…!”
Consumed by fear, Asurta poured out her resentment toward Gregcio. Gregcio had done nothing wrong. He had never once lied to Asurta about his goals. Asurta herself knew that very well. She had simply chosen him as the target of her blame to shake off her terror.
What she feared right now wasn’t the power of El-Asat, but Levia who had wielded it.
“She was alive…! She was alive all along…! That monster has returned…!”
Asurta recalled a memory from the distant past. Red and green eyes looking down at her as they trampled her, pressing the blade of El-Asat against her throat. The gaze of a predator holding the power of life and death, contemplating whether to kill or spare.
Within her terror, Asurta reached one wrong conclusion.
“Yes… that’s what it was…! She returned to finish what she couldn’t end back then. The first saintess has returned to kill me!!!”