Episode 1019 Starlight of Dawn (3)
Polar Fortress, Nordvalt.
Warriors of the frozen lands gathered one after another at that place, which boasted the sturdiest fortress in the west of Prohas and had served as a strategic stronghold when the first King of Prohas unified the North.
Not only the great warriors scattered across the country, but also powerful individuals operating independently in various regions answered the King’s call.The atmosphere among the Northerners, who had adapted to the harsh land, was fierce enough to pressure the continentalers from other regions.
“Indeed, their strength is on a different level, like the frozen white earth. Fighting alongside them would be incredibly reassuring, but… on the other hand, I worry whether we can harmonize well with one another.”
Archbishop Joseph of the castle walked through the bustling fortress streets with his face covered by a thick fur coat.
Instinctive war of nerves.Curiosity.A condescending gaze.… … .
A strange boundary existed between the people of Prohas and those who came from outside of it. The North was so rough that it aroused provocative impulses in those unfamiliar with it.Even the Holy Knights of the Holy Kingdom felt displeased by the unrefined speech of the North.
However, no significant disputes occurred.
This is because both sides were aware of how serious the matter surrounding this situation was. There was no fool here to offend the higher-ups, whose nerves were already frayed, over something like an argument.
Nordwald is Prohas’s largest outpost to be used in the future war against the Old King.Currently, it is the venue for an emergency summit.
About 80% of the key figures from each faction had arrived, and Archbishop Joseph was one of them, but…as one of the seven archbishops of the Ruas Church, he could not simply stay comfortably in a warm place until the meeting began.
Archbishop Joseph arrived at the deserted outskirts of the fortress. Junia, who had been waiting for him, yawned deeply and led the way.
It’s this way.
I entered a magically highly concealed stable. Cut off from the inside and out, the conversations shared here are never transmitted to the outside.
Yunia leaned her back against the tree trunk.
Archbishop Joseph came face-to-face with the person he had hoped to meet inside the stable.
“I heard you were resurrected. Is there any difference from before? How do you feel about setting foot in the world again?”“I am simply glad that there is still work left for me to do while I am alive.”“That is a sentiment befitting an Archbishop.”“Well, since you are an Archbishop.”
Archbishop Joseph recalled the moment he had been killed by the beastman Barcazel. Even the death of Paladin Railber, who had fought alongside him against the Bone Dragon in the Republic of Beldirn.Yet he was not consumed by sorrow.For it was his mission to make the True Cross of Light shine even brighter the darker it was.
“First of all, thank you for accepting my request for an informal private audience. Adrian, the reason I sought to meet you was…”“It is in vain, Archbishop Joseph.”
Adrian’s piercing eyes shone in the shade of the stable.
The saint crossed the line.
Saint Leonhardt, who appeared suddenly, killed the King of Ronia, whom Eon had captured to execute the commandments, with a single blow.This was an arrogant act no different from arbitrarily invading Eon’s territory.
“Coincidentally, the Holy Kingdom intervened just as the tragedy in the southern Eastern Continent was drawing to a close. A coincidence? You can make up whatever you want.”“…….”“The Saint disregarded and plundered the justice of Eon that the Aspects sought to protect with their bloodshed. And now, putting the Pope at the forefront, he keeps his mouth shut. Whether it is reparations or whatever, it has already gone beyond the scope of talking about forgiveness.”
Adrian, displaying calm anger, weighed down the interior of the stable with his presence.
Yunia shuddered and let out a cry of disgust.
I remembered getting a good scolding from Adrian for acting too laid-back when killing the personal bodyguard of Reisen, the former Master of the Bohemian Tower.
“Do you think you can smooth that over with the backing of the Ruas Theocracy?”“Your Holiness’s transgression is self-evident. No matter how much you hated, you should not have sought revenge in that manner. However, the timing is not good for Eon and the Theocracy to be at odds. Division will become the… fuse of destruction.”
Archbishop Joseph slowly knelt down.That Archbishop.Junia flinched in astonishment, as if she had seen a mirage.
“Please, won’t you postpone the time?”“…….”“Separately, to make a correction, the Saint did not hide in the Pope’s shadow. Although the Pope wishes to protect him, the Saint I have seen so far is not someone who would pass responsibility on to others. He is a simple, kind young man from the countryside who knows what passion and effort truly mean.”
He affirmed it.
The Saint will surely go to find Lord Verden alone.
Archbishop Joseph had not had a recent conversation with the Silent Saint that could be called a dialogue, but he had no doubt that the Saint would. He firmly trusted that the Saint would personally apologize for the wrong he had committed, having ultimately failed to control his emotional impulses.
Adrian let out a sharp breath through his nose.
“Seeing the Archbishop in this state, the Holy Kingdom will be furious.”“Having died once, I realized it anew. That before being the Archbishop, I am merely a human being. I would be grateful if you would regard this not as a request from the Archbishop, but as a personal plea from this old man, Joseph.”“Stand up.”
Adrian grabbed Archbishop Joseph’s inner elbow and helped him up.
You’ve become detached.
Is it because I actually experienced death?
Adrian felt that Archbishop Joseph had grown mentally compared to before.It is not for nothing that his liege respects him.
“The Alliance of Transcendents is leading this war.”“……!”“For the Theocracy of Luas is undeniably a force of Transcendents.”
Archbishop Joseph immediately understood the meaning of the words: that he would make the Luas religion part of the alliance and place it under the command of the transcendents.
“The Pope probably won’t accept that request. Especially if the Saint finds out…”“The Lord will make the decision at the summit.”
Adrian was resolute.
“You may convey this to the Cardinals or to the Pope as you please. Even if the Saint returns, the tables will not turn.”
With that, Adrian left the stable.
Junia glanced at Archbishop Joseph and released her magical cloaking. She hurriedly followed Adrian, treading on the snow.
You have become even more refined since becoming a transcendent being.
Archbishop Joseph let out a breath, sensing that Adrian had grown in mind and body. His breath rose chaotically, like the complexity of his mind.
anarchy.
What should be done in this time of chaos, which he had never experienced in his life… Archbishop Joseph remained in the stable for a while, lost in thought.
* * *
The capital of the Kingdom of Hersaon in ancient adventures.
Entranced by the scent of human blood, the demi-humans and mutants enter through the gap in the massively collapsed castle gate.It was an act of gluttony and brutality.Although they hesitated at the intimidating aura emanating from the dragon, the unknown energy spewing from the colossal monster stimulated their instincts.
There is no retreat.
The people trapped within the walls could not push back the swarming enemies. Two warhorses galloped toward the capital, which had become a prison.
Tearel and Verden activated their magic at the same time.
Triple Casting:
Chain Lightning
As waves engulfed the castle gate from three sides, lightning struck simultaneously. The roar of thunder spread. The internal organs of the monsters within range were burned deep, and dozens of corpses lay scattered.
[Secure entrance.]
“I’ll go inside and clean up the area first.”“Understood.”
The Tent of the Earth
Verden protected the party from the lightning-infused water spray with an earth-element shield. Luzak kicked the horse’s flank, and the horse leaped high and jumped straight over the rubble of the castle gate.
Crunch!
Luzak’s longsword, wielding his energy, severed the orc’s neck with a single stroke. As he skillfully drew a half-circle with his warhorse, the blood of the kobold and goblin caught perfectly on the tip of the blade splattered.
Verden, having entered the capital, placed the Eisenpole on the ground while on the saddle.
Triple Casting:
A rock wall rose up to replace the gate, and the subsequent
The magic power circuit is quite a burden.
Lightning-based magic was quite overwhelming. It would be advisable to avoid using spatial-based magic, which is even more burdensome, if possible.
[We have successfully entered the capital.]
Kugugugugung… … ! Kuuuung… … !
The incantations of the wizards of the Kingdom of Hersaon struck the dragon and the monster.Although the destructive power rivaled modern siege magic, the dragon faltered only for a moment, and the monster did not budge.
Breath.
One of the capital’s guard spires collapsed due to the fierce flames unleashed by the dragon.
Tearel said.
“Unless we are at our original level, we’ll die if we go that way. They are special-class entities. Especially that variant with legs and arms attached to its head.”
Verden had a hunch about the true identity of the strange creature she was pointing to. And seeing it up close like this, his hunch turned into certainty.
Is it a remnant of God?
It is an entity similar to the Desert Disaster, born from the remains of the gods annihilated by the World Tree in the Silent Desert. Although the principle of its creation may differ, the result was strikingly similar.
The religion of the Morning Star became an enemy of other religions because it obtained sacred artifacts of ancient evil gods. Whether framed or not, it seems the current Morning Star has acquired items related to evil gods.
Luzak pointed his sword at the path on the left, which was no different from a ruin.
“The Knight of Dawn is in the underground of the capital. The underground passages are a complex network. There is also a shortcut to the royal palace underground, so just follow me.”
Luzak acted like the epitome of a knight and willingly stood at the forefront. Hewas quite skilled at handling warhorses. The monstrous creatures that were scavenging for corpses were severed by the sword strikes he swung from his horse.
“Your movements are quite good. At this level, couldn’t you kill the Margrave by yourself?”“In fact, during my lifetime, I assassinated a Margrave alone. And I ended up being chased like a madman by the Morning Star pursuit squad assembled by the Margrave. I essentially became the Morning Star myself. I can’t even count how many times I narrowly escaped death trying to sever that entire chain…”
The Knight of Ruthlessness, the Margrave’s closest confidant, was Luzak, and he was assigned the role and circumstances of the Knight of Ruthlessness in this ancient adventure.Whether by coincidence or the Host’s intention is unknown, he has effectively returned to his own self.
This was precisely the reason Luzak was able to realize who he was.
“But I have no regrets. Even if I were to go back to the past, I would make the same decision. Because I felt it was my destiny.”
BANG!
The remnants of the evil god shattered one of the three remaining capital guard spires. Rock debris, flying along with the corpse, landed nearby.
The warhorse staggered.
Having narrowly escaped being crushed, Luzak laughed rather than tremble in fear.Verden thought.Even if this hadn’t been a game stage, Luzak would have laughed just as much. What kind of inevitability had given him courage in his lifetime?
It was then.
A wooden arrow flying from the side pierced the curtain of water maintained by Thearel.A sharp wind brushed past the ears.
“Wait, who is this?”
Shadows cast from the building’s rooftop surrounded Verden and his party. Hundreds of elves appeared alongside spirits, their eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
In the midst of that, a man who spoke with a truly intellectual tone stepped forward.
“Are you not the fourth chief guest and the nineteenth distinguished guest of the esteemed Arkadium? The person next to them also appears to be a distinguished guest.”“This arrogant tone…”
Luzak saw through the opponent’s identity.
“The ninth distinguished guest, Mortelan.”
* * *
“That tone of voice. The sixteenth distinguished guest, Luzak Paltein. You stayed long by the side of the fourth guest of honor on land; have you lined up in the meantime? It was a wise choice, but it has ended in a foolish conclusion here.”
Mortelan was highly renowned among the single-digit number of distinguished guests of the Arcadium.In fact, he was infamous.This was because while intellectuals stop at nothing to acquire knowledge, Mortelan, when engaging in the game of knowledge, was something beyond that.
The one who hides a sword in their stomach.
Mortelan had experienced defeat, but he ultimately triumphed. Consequently, none of the intellectuals who stole his knowledge survived. They allbecame specters of knowledge.Mortelan was a man of insight who could see the end, not just the fleeting twists and turns of the moment.
“Do not worry. I will fully savor and digest your knowledge.”
Luzak bit his lip as he watched the elves aiming their bows. Was it Mortelan who instigated this elf raid that didn’t exist in the original history!
“……Mortelan wouldn’t appear like this unless his victory was certain. It means he is convinced he can kill us in an instant.”“…….”“No matter how I look at it, there is no way out.”
As Luzak had said, whether they advanced, detoured, or retreated, there seemed to be no possibility of escape. Mortelan smiled broadly, as if he had already won.
He looks human, yet he is naturally commanding the elves who reject humans. Is it because he has been assigned a role and situation corresponding to an elf that the elves do not recognize him as human?
Verden, riding a warhorse, stepped forward a little.
Tearel asks from behind.
“Is there a way?”“Yes.”
Verden raised his voice.
“Everyone, sheathe your bows.”“Hahaha, it seems the fourth guest of honor doesn’t know anything about elves… huh?”
The elves lowered their bows in unison. Mortelan, who was in overall command of the elf raid, widened his eyes at the unexpected situation.
fault.
A beautiful female elf landed on the ground. She was an elf with tattoos on her face made of a semi-solid makeup mixture of green juice and mud.She exuded the distinct aura of an elf from the primeval era.
“Ah… ah…!”
The elf, having completely let go of his hostility, approached immediately with a broad smile on his face. Then, he took Verden’s hand and his eyes welled up with tears.
The children of Mother Nature behold the incarnation of the Great Mother.
