< Enemies of the World (4) >
In a dark cave.
[Well, looks like it’s settled for now. No need for me to get involved.]
A pair of large golden eyes revealed themselves from inside, shining with a strange light.
The pupils, sharp and slit like those of a reptile, were the eyes of a dragon, the most powerful and massive being in this world.
Gold Dragon Shuriheartgen, manifesting in his true form, observed the flow of energy that coursed through the entire continent before gently closing his eyes again.
He had been prepared to intervene at any moment due to Horus’s request, but thankfully it didn’t seem necessary for him to step in directly.
[…It doesn’t seem like the problem is completely resolved.]
After all, observing from such a distance had its limitations in accuracy, but he could grasp the general situation adequately.
The energy of the foreign church’s apostle had definitely vanished from this world; however, shortly after, there was a change in the Undead King’s energy.
‘Could it be that this was the plan from the very beginning? To use him as a sacrifice to grow his own power?’
If that’s the case, then the foreign apostle had been nothing but a pawn for the Undead King from start to finish.
One threat had receded, but the Undead King, the greatest calamity of the continent, remained intact, leaving no room for him to relax.
[At least it seems that the church’s damage isn’t too extensive.]
Of course, no matter how well-prepared one might be, the scale of the battle had been so vast that there was no way there wouldn’t be any casualties.
Many among those forming the holy barrier had either died or been injured, and the paladins who had put their lifespans on the line were going to require considerable time to recover.
But considering the overwhelming strength of their adversary, the current level of casualties could be seen as almost negligible.
What a serious disaster might have unfolded if they had faced it without any preparation at all!
‘With this level of damage… the worst-case scenario is avoidable. If they push themselves, they could be enough to face the Undead King…’
In particular, the deeds of the Holy Church’s heroes, including the champion, were impressive.
He was in awe of how the continent’s strength had developed to such a level.
Although he had worried greatly about the dragons not being able to help during this invasion of the Undead King, it was a relief that the sacrifices of former generations had not been in vain.
Just at that moment, as Shuriheartgen slowly nodded.
[Well… Huhk! Cough cough—! Phew—!]
With his rough coughing, blood surged forth like a waterfall from his immense golden maw.
Thud— Splash—
The crimson remains of ancient blood splattered on the floor, and the metallic scent of blood began to fill the cave.
[…Hoo, it seems there isn’t much time left. Perhaps it’s time to prepare for the end.]
After glancing momentarily at the pool of blood beneath him, he lightly cast a spell to clean it up.
At least he would be able to spend his last moments by the side of his successor, which was a small relief.
He had even been prepared to burn away the rest of his life if necessary, but had that been the case, he wouldn’t have been able to leave a final gift for Horus.
‘May that child become the hope of our clan.’
The old dragon, squinting as if gazing far away, gently closed his eyes to rest.
Before the last moment arrived, he needed to raise his condition as much as possible.
*
After the saint personally proclaimed that the ‘foreign church’s apostle’ had been banished from this world.
The chaos of the holy site, which had witnessed a war, began to stabilize rapidly.
Members of the church busily worked to retrieve the bodies of those who had died in battle and transport the injured for healing.
It was then that Saint Liesta and her party of heroes arrived at Rosellia Temple.
“Whew, it seems we are late after all. The space travel magic has so many restrictions…”
“Don’t say that. The reason we could travel so comfortably is all thanks to Lady Isea. Still, you must be tired, so please take a moment to rest.”
Liesta immediately rolled up her sleeves and jumped into action, treating the wounded, leaving Isea to sigh from the fatigue of consecutive long-distance jumps and battle.
Even though the first aid had already been administered right after the battle ended, there were still many who needed her help.
“Hmm, there seem to be more injured than I expected.”
“Still, it’s fortunate that it’s this minor, Saint. If it weren’t for those who came with the Saint, the damage could have been greater.”
“Ah, indeed… that would be the case. It felt like they were worse than the Undead King…”
“If it weren’t for the Saint’s foresight, we would have surely faced immense difficulties. And as for the vampire lord, if the Saint hadn’t accepted him, he wouldn’t have been here to help us either.”
As they conversed, naturally Heinrich’s insight was praised once again.
It made sense, considering he had instructed the church to prepare beforehand and had taken charge in this situation.
Moreover, he had dealt the final blow to the foreign church’s apostle and chased him away, and above all…
“Ooh! May the grace of the Holy God be with us!”
“Hahaha, a second Great Blessing! What a joyous occasion!”
“Ahh— I can still vividly recall that beautiful moment when the wings of light unfolded. Who would have thought I could witness such a scene with my own eyes! Oh, Holy God!”
The ‘Wings of Radiance’ shown by Heinrich in front of thousands of fervent believers moved many to tears.
That moment when the Holy Sword was plunged into the heart of the terrifyingly powerful foreign church’s apostle and the Great Blessing of the Holy God descended, unfolding beautiful wings that radiated light!
It was truly a scene worthy of legend.
‘I’ve gained a lifelong bragging right!’
‘This too is the guidance of the Holy God.’
‘I need to record this in detail. Not just in a journal, but I must make a painting of it too…!’
Indeed, the artists associated with the church had already retreated to capture that moment on canvas.
Once they were prepared to some extent, this event would surely be illustrated in murals and passed down through the church’s history for generations.
For the fervent believers of the church, witnessing such a legendary scene with their own eyes was nothing short of a glorified moment.
“…Ah! By the way, where is the Saint now? Is she not injured or anything?”
“It’s nothing like that, Saint. The Saint is inside the worship room, checking on urgent patients and recovering the new blessing. It seems she needs a little time.”
During the battle, she had hastily put forth her strength, but to handle her abilities more efficiently, the proper understanding of limits and detailed adjustments were essential.
After all, it wasn’t just a regular blessing; it was a Great Blessing that elevated her abilities to another level!
‘Great, this is excellent. It’s truly an all-purpose ability.’
In the private worship room of Rosellia Temple.
Heinrich, with his newly acquired wings spread wide, clasped his hands in prayer and internally expressed his satisfaction.
「Great Blessing: Wings of Radiance」 included an incredibly diverse range of functions.
Basic enhancements like high-speed flight, amplification of holy power, and boosts to holy skills were all included, and it could be used across all fields, from offense to defense and buffs.
And most importantly…
‘The appearance is really cool! Goodness, a knight with wings of light!’
Perhaps the Elder Dragon had noticed his subtle envy of the Head of the Buncheon Society and bestowed him with such abilities?
As Heinrich stroked the beautifully flowing wings of radiance, he nodded slowly in appreciation.
Of course, gaining such achievements wasn’t the only privilege of Heinrich.
The moment the work concluded, Heinz II hastily gained resistance to holy power through the blood of the Head of the Buncheon Society, while Harley, who had eaten parts of the wings, had obtained some useful genetic information.
…However, not everyone benefited from this big event—
“Lord Harris? What are you doing here? Weren’t you on the Enamel Continent?”
“Ahaha… this is all thanks to the grace of the World Tree, isn’t it? Thanks to that, I was able to lend a hand this time around.”
When High Elf Lydia, who had come to assist the hero party, expressed her doubt, the awkwardly grinning Harris had crossed the sea to arrive here.
All he could do was praise the World Tree, and nothing else.
“Well, that’s true. This was a significant matter. A follower of an evil god from outside the world, after all.”
It was hard to accept such an answer, but since he hadn’t done anything wrong, she had no choice but to agree and let it go.
Since there was no one else among the current High Elves who had reached a transcendent level, she could only accept it as it was.
“Haha… of course. By the way, given the extent of the destruction caused this time, perhaps we should provide some assistance for recovery? It seems mutually beneficial.”
“Ah, that’s a good suggestion! Perhaps we should enlarge the forest a bit while we’re at it. I always feel a little cramped whenever I come here…”
Harris casually changed the subject and led Lydia to another location.
Since the area around them had been left in disarray, they needed to act quickly to start cleaning things up.
As those gathered at the holy site busied themselves for various reasons related to this event.
“Hurry, hurry! Hey, raise the furnace temperature! What can we do with that lukewarm fire!”
“Chef! We’ve brought more meat!”
“Then slice it quickly! This is war! We’re in charge of the most crucial supplies! Anyone slacking off will face consequences!”
““Yes! Chef!””
The third central kitchen of Rosellia Temple was bustling for different reasons.
“Ah~ this is what I’m talking about! As expected, the temple uses the best meat! I find myself craving this flavor often! Hahah!”
With all the confidence in the world, Harley had boldly ordered meat and claimed a seat at the table of the temple kitchen.
For the tough and masculine Harley, handling the aftermath or maintaining order was fine; the most important routine was simply to consume nutritious and delicious meat after a hearty workout.
Feeling that he had earned this right after working hard earlier, he wolfed down the meat almost like he was drinking it, drawing conclusions about this Buncheon Society incident.
‘In the end, we chased away the intruder. I suppose this is somewhat settled.’
While he was curious about what had happened to the Head of the Buncheon Society who had gone missing from Auterica, there was no way for him to know what would come next.
However, considering how grand the finale had been, the fellow was likely not in a good state.
Perhaps right now, he was releasing his frustrations on Earth?
While that thought was somewhat satisfying, he couldn’t be content with just this one victory.
‘This was just one hit. It’s only the beginning.’
This skirmish had been made possible due to the home ground advantage, the superiority of information, and exploiting the opponent’s imposed weaknesses.
Such methods wouldn’t work in a true showdown on Earth.
‘No, in fact, Earth could very well be considered the intruder’s base, making it even more disadvantageous.’
In order to truly bring him down in such an environment, it would require overwhelmingly powerful strength.
Strength so great that it could disregard any unreasonable conditions, unfavorable circumstances, or penalties that would hinder him!
‘…It’s alright. I’m doing well. I just need to keep going as I have been.’
In that sense, this operation, where the avatars had grown while simultaneously sapping the enemy’s power, was a remarkably encouraging success.
Although he couldn’t guarantee when such opportunities would arise again, he was filled with confidence that he could continue to do well in the future.
‘Yes, just as I’ve done thus far.’
As Harley became lost in thought while devouring the meat on the table and relishing the satisfaction of the moment.
A server approached him, loaded with freshly cooked meat on a serving cart.
“…Um, Lord Harley?”
Then, in a voice filled with perplexity, they cautiously called out to him.
“Hmm?”
“Um, no matter how delicious it is, you shouldn’t eat the plate…”
At that moment, Harley blankly stared down at the table, which was clean without even a plate in sight.
“Ah.”
No wonder the meat had felt a bit tough halfway through.
He must have been too engrossed in his thoughts.
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