Chapter 135
The day after finishing all schedules in the Holy Kingdom and returning to the Academy.
With a few days still left before the sester ended, I was attending classes like the other students.
Of course, even though I said I was attending, I was only half-listening with one ear and spacing out. It wasn’t just —overall, that was the atmosphere. After all, everyone had just returned from an adventure because of the third-sester exams.
Alice was sleeping face-down as if it were only natural, and even Elysia, who always listened diligently in class, was dozing slightly.
Diark was stuck close to Maria, fidgeting and fooling around, and by the ti I looked at Werner, he was wearing a complicated expression and letting out sighs nonstop.
‘That’s only natural.’
After Sword Marshal General Isaac ascended the throne, the Kingdom of Dedrio was quickly finding stability.
Since he had swept away, in one stroke, the factions gnawing at the country—including the Anti-Imperial Faction—there were even opinions saying that in so respects the nation had beco more vibrant than before.
To Werner personally, Isaac was the mortal enemy who had killed his father, but from the standpoint of a prince, he was a leader who had laid the groundwork for reviving the country.
Moreover, Werner himself hadn’t even graduated from the Academy yet, rely carrying the title of prince in na alone.
It was unfortunate, but there was nothing I could do for him. For now, all that could be done was wait.
‘What’s right in front of
right now is the Gathering of Sword Masters, huh.’
As I covered Alice’s face with a book while she whimpered in her sleep, I frowned slightly.
Why had he suddenly moved up the schedule of the gathering?
My fief was located not far from the Sword Saint’s territory. I had planned to drop by while heading down there during vacation, but now it looked like I would have to go even before visiting my own land.
Knock knock-.
“According to officially compiled historical records……. Hm? Teacher Delke, what brings you here?”
In the middle of class, a familiar-faced man ca looking for us.
When the elderly teacher, who had been passionately lecturing on the Empire’s war history, voiced his confusion, the man bowed slightly in apology for interrupting the lesson and spoke.
“Ah, it’s nothing serious. The Headmaster has summoned student Ostia.”
At Delke’s appearance, ripples spread through the previously quiet classroom. Standing by the doorway, he gave
a subtle look, and I rose from my seat with a reluctant expression.
‘Chris is calling ?’
I had already talked about what happened in the Holy Kingdom and various other matters yesterday. There shouldn’t have been any reason to pull
out of class for sothing trivial.
“It’s been a while, Teacher. I heard you went along as an escort for the journey to the Holy Kingdom—sounds like sothing else ca up.”
“An urgent matter, that’s all. More importantly, I heard things got noisier than expected.”
“I didn’t expect it to turn out that way either.”
While heading to the Headmaster’s office, I made so light small talk with him. I casually asked whether he knew why Chris had called for , but he shook his head, saying he didn’t know either.
“Then, I’ll be off.”
When we arrived near the Headmaster’s office, Delke said we’d talk again later and left. I slowly opened the door and stepped inside.
“It’s been a while. Ah, should I call you Hero now?”
The interior looked the sa as yesterday, but the old man seated inside was completely unexpected.
“…Is that really what you pulled a disciple out of class for, just to say?”
Sword Saint Yohanel was sitting on the sofa, looking at
with a mischievous smile.
“I didn’t hear that this one would be coming either. He suddenly barged in…….”
When I looked toward Chris, she too shook her head with a slight frown, as if she hadn’t known the Sword Saint would co. Seeing that, the Sword Saint spoke with a faintly disappointed expression.
“We’re all in the sa boat now—won’t you even welco this old man anymore?”
“Old man? You’re a human absurdly younger than .”
“Well, that’s true.”
He brushed off Chris’s incredulous retort lightly, then gestured for , still standing by the door, to sit across from him.
“I’ve already heard most things from her. The judgnt not to reveal who the real Hero was deserves praise.”
“I didn’t do it for praise, but hearing you say that does make
feel good.”
As I said that, I subtly shifted my gaze around him. As if reading my look asking whether he’d really co empty-handed just to praise , the Sword Saint grinned and spoke.
“That’s exactly why I ca in person. You heard from her, didn’t you? That the gathering I host every year will be held next week.”
“Yes. I was wondering about that myself. It’s usually held at the end of the year.”
When I asked if there was a reason, he nodded lightly.
“With the existence of demons and Majin rising to the surface, and the na of the Hero spreading as well, it’s ti for
to move in earnest.”
‘So that’s why he gathered the Sword Masters.’
It wasn’t a bad idea. Sword Masters were key military assets of their respective nations and mostly held important posts.
Especially with what happened in the Holy Kingdom becoming a hot topic and warnings already spreading across nations.
In such a situation, if ‘the Sword Saint himself’ spoke directly to the Sword Masters about demons and Majin, conveying information and the dangers, the weight would be entirely different.
“And I intend to introduce the newly erged Sword Master as well.”
At the Sword Saint’s gaze, I let out a bitter smile.
“The rumors have already spread far and wide.”
While walking the Pilgrim’s Path, I had defeated Holy Kingdom Paladins left and right, and even gotten into a full-blown scuffle with Agares. It would have been stranger if no rumors had spread.
“Even so, you are this body’s disciple. With your rits as well, establishing your status properly wouldn’t be bad. It’s about ti you washed away that butcher’s stigma, wouldn’t you?”
“…Is that so.”
At the Sword Saint’s final words, I closed my mouth.
No matter what I did, the image of a butcher that had taken root for over a decade followed
everywhere. Yet hearing that I could finally put an end to it stirred a strange feeling.
“You’ve worked hard.”
The Sword Saint stood up and patted my shoulder. Even if what he envisioned differed from my actual circumstances, those words alone were a great comfort to .
This journey to the Holy Kingdom seed to have stimulated not just , but everyone.
Right after returning to the Academy, Alice and Elysia sparred whenever they had ti, often continuing late into the night.
Leysias and Yuria also resud private magic lessons under Gawain, and even Diark and Maria, who were always glued together, appeared at the training grounds often—it seed they weren’t just playing around.
With only a few days left until the end of the sester, after all Academy classes ended, I called out to Werner, who was getting up to leave.
“Let’s talk for a bit.”
He nodded slightly at my words and sat back down. Once everyone else had left the classroom, I perched on the desk in front of him and spoke.
“You look pretty troubled these days.”
“…I guess so.”
He shrugged, saying I already knew what it was about. I let out a small sigh.
At this point, there was no way for
to resolve his worries.
If killing Isaac and reclaiming the throne were all it took, I could have done that without hesitation, but the risks were far too great.
“Obsession over a problem you can’t solve right away is foolish too. I told you, didn’t I? The opportunity will definitely co.”
“…You did.”
But as long as one was human, it wasn’t possible to wait forever. That was why I said this to him.
“There’s going to be a Gathering of Sword Masters at the Sword Saint’s territory.”
“A Gathering of Sword Masters?”
At those words, Werner lifted his head. Since he walked the path of the sword as well, he must have heard of it.
“ The Sword Saint intended to speak to the Sword Masters gathered there about demons and Majin. And Isaac would probably be there as well. ”
He was the king of a nation—but rather, precisely because he was king, it was a position he couldn’t afford to miss.
The Kingdom of Dedrio served as a buffer zone guarding the borders between the Empire and other kingdoms. For them to survive, borrowing the strength of foreign powers was inevitable. An event like the Sword Saint’s gathering was not sothing they could skip.
“ We have one card that can be used to strike at Isaac. ”
“ A card? ”
At those words, Werner’s eyes glead. During the Academic Festival, the rebellion that had occurred in the Kingdom of Dedrio had clearly involved Majin forces.
In this world, there were countless ways to reveal truth and falsehood. A sworn docunt, or simply asking an artifact whether he had colluded with Majin—that would be enough.
If, in a place where countless influential figures from across the continent had gathered, the fact that he had colluded with Majin were revealed—
Seizing the throne outright might be difficult, but it would still deal a trendous blow.
‘Of course, things wouldn’t go that smoothly.’
Isaac was a sharp-minded man.
Until the end of the original story, there was never any ntion of him colluding with Majin forces. How thoroughly and ticulously had he hidden it for that to be possible?
Still, even the attempt itself was sothing that could advance multiple matters at once.
“ Because of what happened in the Holy Kingdom, it’s been revealed that even soone at the level of a Paladin can have a demon possess their body. If such beings had taken root in Isaac’s body as well, there couldn’t be a better outco than that. ”
No matter how strong an enemy appeared, if dozens of Sword Masters charged together, he would be slaughtered without even being able to resist.
And there was also the Sword Saint there—stronger than everyone present combined.
“…I see.”
When I said that much, vitality finally returned to Werner’s eyes. Thinking it was an idea worth trying, he clenched both fists and lifted his head.
“ Then all I have to do is keep watch on my uncle’s movents, right? ”
“ Correct. ”
Seeing him already identify what he needed to do, it seed he had sorted out his thoughts to so extent.
To be honest, the talk about Isaac had been sothing I ca up with on the spot. Originally, I’d planned to simply attend the Sword Saint’s gathering and discuss matters related to my fief, but this approach felt like it would motivate him more, so I changed direction.
“ Then until the gathering, should we spar like Alice and the others? ”
“…Spar? ”
Werner’s eyes filled with confusion at the sudden ntion of sparring. In response, I grinned and continued.
“ Yeah. You’ll be participating in the gathering as my attendant. I need to raise your level to a decent point, at least. ”
Even in his current state, he had grown far faster than in the original story, but with irregulars lurking everywhere, I had no intention of just watching idly.
Anything that could beco fighting strength, I would nurture as much as possible. Werner had talent in his own right, so if I pushed him hard for a few days, I figured he’d grow quite a bit.
The underground prison of the Holy Kingdom.
It was usually a place where heretics, or criminals who had committed sins of a similar level, were confined.
In the past, when heretical sects had run rampant across the continent, it was often used, but in recent years, no one had been imprisoned here.
However, during this exchange event with Bayern Academy, a man had been incarcerated for attempting to commit disgraceful acts so vile they were shaful even to speak of, especially given his position as a Holy Kingdom official.
Those who stood ahead were ant to serve as examples for those who followed. Yet he had not only committed sin as a Holy Kingdom official, but the fact that the witness was the Saintess made the gravity of his cri even heavier.
Now, he was alone in the cold prison, waiting for the punishnt that would co.
Not knowing how many days had passed, the man knelt on his cot, repeating prayers that received no answer, wailing endlessly.
Step. Step.
Then one day, at the sound of footsteps walking through the empty underground corridor, the man’s eyes flew open.
There were no guards stationed here. als were nothing more than lumps that barely deserved to be called food, dropped periodically through a chute. So the man placed his hope in the fact that soone had co.
“ Brother. ”
“ Ah, Priest. ”
And that hope did not betray him. Clinging to the iron bars, the man looked at the visitor who had co to see him and shed tears.
“ I did everything you told
to do. But I was discovered by that damned woman…… ”
“ You’re certain you put the drug into the champagne and had the girl called Alice drink it, correct? ”
“ Y-Yes, she definitely drank it! I saw with my own eyes her drinking the champagne with the sedative and that black powder mixed in! So please, save …… ”
He begged to be saved, saying he had done exactly as instructed. The one standing before him nodded with a benevolent smile.
“ Of course I should help you. ”
“ Ah, thank you. Thank you. ”
“…That’s what I would have said originally, but unfortunately, you were caught by the Saintess, which has given us quite the headache. ”
“…What? ”
The man’s face stiffened. He tightened his grip on the bars and spoke.
“ I-If this continues, I’ll really die. I-If you don’t want your na to co out of my mouth……! ”
“ Which is why I ca. To save you from sin. ”
“ Then…… ”
At those words, the man’s expression, which had seed plunged into despair, brightened again. But it didn’t take long for it to turn pale.
Splaash-!
The priest’s face split open, and a monster whose form defied description burst forth.
The man trembled, his teeth chattering as he staggered backward, but as if that were aningless, the monster opened its maw, crossed the iron bars in an instant, and swallowed the man whole.
Crack. Crunch.
Only the sounds of bones and flesh twisting echoed through the silent prison. And when his form returned to what it had been before—
“ Hm. ”
The priest, wearing a satisfied smile, turned his steps and left the prison as if nothing had happened.
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