Chapter 86
Twelve Divine Beasts.
Twelve magical creatures that exist in the world.
Originally, they were the pinnacle of each monster force under the demon king, but after their master, the demon king, was killed by the first magician, they offered their allegiance to the magician and were able to exist in this land without being confined underground.
Their names, along with their unique descendants, have been passed down, and currently, only one true Divine Beast has existed since ancient times, while the others are its descendants.
Each is tied to its own territory and does not stray from it, causing no harm to humans.
This is due to a pact with the first magician, agreeing to not interfere in worldly matters.
The power of these twelve monsters is vast and mysterious, even influencing nature.
For example, if Frikkanrisk, the dragon that oversees winter and has its lair in the northern Troa Empire, is displeased, avalanches occur in Dortmund’s snowy mountains, and if it sheds tears of sorrow, hail falls.
We have revered their astonishing power since ancient times, but we do not worship them as we follow the one true God, Yggdrasil.
Nevertheless, their wonder and authority deserve respect, and we refer to these twelve monsters as ‘Divine Beasts.’
—Excerpted from “The History of the Troa Empire and the Twelve Divine Beasts,” page 251, first line.
*
Once again, what I aim to gain from this episode is Archbishop Ami’s head.
Killing that guy and obtaining the Judgment Weapon.
That’s the primary achievement target.
If I do not stray from the framework, I should naturally be able to ride that wave.
However, there is a small problem.
The incident involving Helion and his party during this summer vacation is like an offshoot that completely deviates from the main storyline of the original work, hence my knowledge of the information is extremely limited.
From what I do know, according to the existing story, Helion’s party, who came to subdue Frikkanrisk, discovered some collusion between Frikkanrisk and Archbishop Ami, and bravely fought and won against these two terrifying foes.
With Frikkanrisk’s death, the climate around Dortmund returns to normal, and the head of one of the fifteen archbishops, Ami, fades into darkness, elevating the Church’s status.
Additionally, Helion’s already radiant achievements shine even brighter, resulting in a rise in his Hero Ranking shortly afterward.
Many misunderstand the Hero Ranking as a measure of combat power, and while it’s difficult to say that’s completely wrong, to be precise, the Hero Ranking reflects ‘contribution.’
It ranks how much one has contributed to the betterment of the world.
It ranks how much contribution someone made.
Anyway, if things continue as planned, Helion will move up from 7th to 6th place, and his teammates will share in that honor.
Considering the power or damage of the Archbishop, it was only fitting. It was said that all the students in Academia were busy gushing over him after hearing the news.
…But there’s something off about it.
Clearly, Helion’s strength is such that he could reach 2nd place in Hero Ranking in the future.
So it wouldn’t be surprising if he, along with Archbishop Ami and Frikkanrisk, one of the Twelve Divine Beasts, managed to catch a powerful opponent.
Also, except for one who died in the process, all of his teammates are pretty high-ranked.
Hmm. But… But you see…
⎯Swish!
A certain movement, a certain breath, cuts through the air in a repetitive pattern. The sound causes the flow of thoughts to momentarily halt and draws attention.
A man wielding a steel sword, Toylen Troa Finn, possesses a well-trained physique that starkly contrasts with the surrounding temperature.
The heat emanating from Finn raises the room’s temperature.
Being close to him felt like standing near a pot of boiling water, giving off a certain warmth.
Since entering the Research Society, Finn has been repeating a single movement day in and day out.
It’s a basic move aimed quickly at the opponent’s head, with no applications—just a straightforward, blunt approach.
“…You’ve improved quite a bit, but you’re still far from it.”
That was my honest impression upon seeing this.
He must have repeated the movement hundreds of thousands of times, yet it’s still clumsy.
Considering that his training was due to Helion’s relic rather than pure swordsmanship, one could argue that his current level is solely a result of Finn’s own capabilities.
And that seems a bit disappointing.
It seems the weight of the steel sword isn’t ordinary, and even with sandbags weighing over 70 kilograms, it doesn’t seem to have much effect.
‘That’s enough checking on this guy for now.’
This is a rundown inn in the city of Dortmund, located at the northernmost part of the Troa Empire.
Canella, who was guiding us, instructed us to wait here while she went to fetch Helion and his group.
Using that bit of spare time, Finn and I began our personal maintenance.
As usual, Finn swung his heavy steel sword, while I checked on the state of the Familiars and supplied them with mana.
Familiars cannot be raised merely by affection; they require consistent, suitable management and timely supply of quality mana.
Naturally, it’s far more complicated than just keeping a pet.
⎯Gyarling.
As I gently brushed the fur of the wolf familiar, it expressed its delight with its entire being.
It rubbed its face against me, trying to come inside.
At first glance, it seemed as though it was trying to burrow in search of a warm place due to the cold… It’s incredibly cute, really.
Anyway.
Dortmund, being at the northernmost point of the vast Troa Empire, is a city that’s always accompanied by snow.
If we hadn’t taken the high-speed airship before getting on the wagon, it would have taken weeks to arrive.
Looking out through the rattling window, it’s only natural to see the landscape covered in white snow, nothing unusual about it.
…Unless, of course, the intensity of the snow meant that the outside was completely obscured from view.
If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have said it.
“It’s no joke. I’ve heard of Dortmund, but I never expected a blizzard like this in the middle of summer.”
It seemed that the loud noise from the window had distracted Finn from his focus.
Before long, he was also looking out the window with me.
“It’s not usually like this. The current climate is just a bit off.”
“Is this also Frikkanrisk’s fault?”
“Yes. Her rampage has led to the current situation.”
The reason Helion’s team was summoned by the Central Church was simple. They were to hunt down Frikkanrisk, who was rampaging around Dortmund.
Thanks to her rampage as the winter dragon among the Twelve Divine Beasts, many people were dying from the extreme cold in this already frozen place.
Crops, livestock, human casualties, building collapses—the disasters just kept piling up.
As a result, the economy was naturally being destroyed, and those who could not be helped were dying off.
Thus, the church, having assessed the damage, decided to eliminate Frikkanrisk, but it was difficult for the ordinary heroes stationed at the local church to take her down, so they requested help from the Central Church.
This is how we ended up coming this far.
⎯Grrr.
The wolf, ‘Wookdori,’ who had been quietly sleeping in my arms, suddenly bristled its fur and bared its teeth.
It turned its head towards the door, ready for vigilance.
I slowly patted its back to calm it down. The one who entered through the door was Canella, who had guided us here.
“Sorry. Were you waiting long? I had a lot of information to check, so it took longer than expected.”
Behind her, a somewhat familiar man approached. He gave us a warm smile as if he was happy to see us. Even without emotions, it looked quite natural.
“You all had a hard time coming all the way here. Vargan and Finn, it seems you’ve both gotten much stronger during the time we haven’t seen each other.”
Finn bowed at a 90-degree angle.
“It’s been a while, Helion!”
“The quality of the relic you provided was outstanding, so I think we achieved quite satisfactory results.”
“Thanks for saying that. It makes me feel rewarded.”
Helion’s eyes were completely still.
Is that really the face of someone who feels rewarded? — The obvious question came to mind, but since I had adapted to Helion’s way of speaking, it didn’t feel awkward at all.
He wasn’t perfect at handling expressions.
He didn’t waste any time.
“Now, let’s discuss this mission right away. Let’s move to another room.”
*
“Now, can you swear that what you just said isn’t a lie? If it is, I won’t hesitate to kill this temporary ally or whatever?”
The bizarrely formed words were directed toward a hooded man by a teenage boy on horseback.
The vertically slit pupils reminded him of another archbishop, Zagan, who had horizontal slits.
Archbishop Ami glared with a chilling gaze.
Recently, he had heard the news of Zagan’s death, which had put him in a very bad mood, and if this was a joke, he wouldn’t let it slide.
The hooded man spoke, his natural melancholic tone making it sound quite calm as he conveyed the facts in front of the archbishop. He wasn’t lying.
“I have no reason to lie. I have nothing left to gain.”
“I have nothing left. There’s nothing remaining for me.”
Ami stared intensely at the figure beneath the hood, as if piercing through them.
In an instant, as Ami realized the truth of his words, his mouth formed a smile that reached his ears.
That smile was both pure and cruel.
Ami cheered.
So much so that he could easily forget Zagan’s death.
The thought of savoring the soul, aged to perfection over 15 years, made him want to rush there immediately.
He longed to meet you.
He wanted to devour you eagerly.
Without leaving a single trace…!
Ami licked his lips as he gazed down at the distant city of Dortmund. It looked just like a prime cut of meat placed on a plate.
“If you rush things just because Helion’s here, it’ll get tangled. Make sure to prioritize correctly.”
Ami’s gaze remained fixed far off, yet he wasn’t oblivious. The primary reason he had come here wasn’t Helion.
“I waited for 15 years. I have no plans to storm in just because a few weeks are delayed. But…”
Ami narrowed his eyes and turned his focus to the hooded man.
Then suddenly.
“Kreeugh…!”
The man began to writhe in agony. It wasn’t due to external stimuli, but rather something deep within, as if his heart was being gripped.
The hooded man rolled in the snow, his body covered in white flakes.
Ami lightly stepped down from his mount, lifting the man’s chin with his foot, completing his halted sentence.
Ami’s gaze was indifferent, as if looking at a creature lower than livestock.
“Don’t you dare crawl towards me, human.”
Though obscured by the hood, it was easy to notice the displeased expression barely visible.
Deep within his body, the “Divine Bug” was nested.
The bug that had feasted on Ami’s blood could transform Craine into Altife whenever Ami wished, inflicting pain at will.
“Our alliance is temporary. And it’s certainly not on equal terms.”
Like any alliance or contract, the establishment of mutual equality was nearly impossible.
The temporary alliance between Archbishop Ami and the hooded hero followed the same pattern.
For this particular matter, they had joined hands, and even that was based on an unequal agreement.
“I’ll give you what you desire. However, keep in mind that if you provoke my temper, I won’t hesitate to sever your head, no matter the damage it may cause.”
As Ami’s chilling voice reached the hooded man, instead of feeling fear, he began to chuckle.
He wasn’t driven mad by pain or terror.
“Sure… that’s… that’s enough.”
He was the kind of person who would do anything to achieve what he wanted, regardless of the consequences. A hero with an intense desire that shaped him this way.
For what he wished for, he could ally with anyone, be they demon or Altife. After all, the hero himself did not love humanity.
“Ha, heh-heh….”
Even with the pain gnawing at his heart, if it meant edging closer toward the source of his desire, he could genuinely laugh like this.
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