#97 The Beginning of Change (1)
Deep in an uninhabited mountain.
Puhwaak—!
There, something clawed its way up through the dirt.
And following the first one to emerge, two, three... their numbers continued to grow. [Grrrkk—]
The sight of countless undead endlessly crawling up to the surface was enough to call to mind a scene from a horror movie.
The place they emerged from was a scar of the Abyss, one that had been buried beneath the earth over the long passage of time.
As the boundary blurred under the influence of the opened Abyss, those who had been drifting there were able to escape one by one.
Kiiiiiik.
—Clatter!
Moreover, there were no low-ranking undead such as zombies or skeletons among their ranks.
Only after an elite undead force of more than a hundred, each at least on the level of a Skeleton Knight, had gathered did they begin to form ranks among themselves while keeping watch on their surroundings.
Movements not of ordinary undead, but of beings with intelligence.
At last, an immortal army scattering the aura of death in every direction revealed itself upon the surface. [...For now... we move...]
The one leading that army was a knight clad in ornate armor, his head tucked under one arm—a Dullahan Knight.
Clatter, clatter!
Rustle, rustle.
—It was clearly an abnormal situation, but it was not a special one.
Because even now, the same thing was happening all across the continent.***
As the situation changed abruptly, the political landscape shifted rapidly.
The sacrificial rituals carried out across the continent, the Abyss that opened as a result, and the immortal armies resurrected in connection with it.
And the root cause of all of it—
The continent’s calamity, the Immortal King himself.
Only after such a tangible threat approached did those who had been lukewarm in responding to the Order’s warnings begin scrambling to act.
Of course, among them were quite a few who had made thorough preparations from the beginning...
And one of them was the Kingdom of Talia, located at the western edge of the continent.
“How is the situation?”
“The entire continent is in a state of emergency. Since Abyssal Scars that have already closed are difficult to detect, no one knows when or where undead may emerge. Everyone is on edge.”
Mulo Brocoslac answered Heinz II’s question respectfully.
This was something that had not happened even three hundred years ago, when the Immortal King rose, so everyone’s preparations were lacking.
The aftermath of the previous Immortal Kings repeatedly knocking on the gates of the Abyss was only now erupting in this manner.
“Fortunately, our Kingdom of Talia and the neighboring nations have not suffered major damage.” ‘Of course they haven’t.’ It was only natural.
Thanks to the gift Hans had received from the previous Immortal King, he had become able to detect the immortal army, and he was collecting every one of them that emerged nearby and storing them in his negative-dimensional space. ‘The detection range still isn’t that wide, but I’m diligently moving around and expanding the patrol area, so I should be able to handle the western region somehow.’ It would have been best if he could summon his army wherever he wanted and in whatever numbers he wanted, but right now the boundary had grown far too weak, so there was nothing he could do.
He had no choice but to handle it as best he could, even like this.
In truth, the region where the most scars had formed was the western part of the continent, so even that much was a fairly good result.
“How is the matter of connecting with Hubert Company in Tarak of the Tulk Kingdom progressing?”
“We have completed contact, and according to their request, we are assisting them from the shadows.”
“If they want anything, grant it as much as possible. I have already finished discussing things with Hubert. They will also help us wholeheartedly, so it should aid us in expanding our influence in the Tulk Kingdom.”
Hubert Company in the light and the Brocoslac Clan in the shadows were quite compatible with each other.
Through mutual synergy, they would become a good relationship that could help both sides prosper.
“But in the end, they are still humans. And trusting a mere merchant is quite dangerous. Rather, if we were to bring him into our clan as well...”
“Hubert is fine, even if others are not. Know that he will never betray us.”
“...Ah! As expected, you had already made separate arrangements. I will follow your command.”
Mulo nodded with a look of understanding, though it was unclear what misunderstanding he had made.
In any case, both were his own forces, so as long as he kept his subordinates properly in line from now on, there was no need to worry about anything else.
But not everything was going so smoothly.
Because the most important problem still remained unresolved.
“...Has there still been no report regarding the influence of madness?”
Even now, Heinz could feel the faint aura of madness around him as he asked Mulo.
Several days had passed since the Abyss opened and madness leaked out, yet this aura, spread and diluted across the entire continent, had still shown no particular signs. ‘That makes no sense. No matter how imperfectly it manifested, something that came from the Abyss could not possibly be this quiet. There must be something strange going on.’ “It has not been long enough to be certain yet, but they say the number of people quarreling over trivial matters has increased, perhaps due to the influence of ‘madness.’ Of course, we will need to observe for some time to obtain accurate statistics.”
“Though its concentration has thinned as it spread across the entire continent, it is entirely possible that it has affected the unconscious mind. Examine it closely.”
“Yes. And while this too requires further investigation before we can be certain...”
Mulo looked at Heinz with a grave expression.
Contrary to his words that more time was needed, his face already held a certain degree of conviction.
“They say the movements of the monsters are unusual.”***
The holy sword was a symbol in and of itself.
Those who represented the armed might of the Order of the Supreme God included holy warriors, holy knights, and at their pinnacle, paladins...
But all of that was merely a system established by humans.
Just as the Saintess had been chosen by the Supreme God to act in His stead, the master of the holy sword could be called the Supreme God’s first sword.
Therefore, no matter who became the master of the holy sword, their treatment was bound to change dramatically.
Just like Heinrich now.
The largest grand chapel in the Great Temple of Roselia.
At present, two cardinals, an archbishop, paladins, and other members of the Order’s highest ranks were gathered there.
Not only them, but many others were also in attendance, and considering that this was an extremely busy time, it was clear just how important they considered this occasion.
Yes, this was the place where the new master of the holy sword—
Heinrich’s paladin investiture ceremony was being held. ‘It really feels like a whole new era.’ How long had it even been since he had been ordained as a holy knight, and now he was already becoming a paladin?
Moreover, this ceremony was a luxury that other paladins had never experienced, as it was being personally presided over by the Saintess herself. ‘In a way, it’s only natural.’ After all, in the midst of a continental crisis, he was the master of the holy sword born for the first time in three hundred years.
Before long, in a solemn atmosphere, the ceremony meant solely for Heinrich proceeded as smoothly as flowing water.
The recitation of prayers to the Supreme God, the rites, and other symbolic procedures passed...
And finally.
Before the Saintess standing upon the dais, Heinrich, who had been kneeling on one knee, drew the holy sword from the stigmata on his palm.
Wooooong.
—A beautiful silver holy sword, trembling its blade the moment it appeared and revealing its presence to the entire world.
As it revealed itself, those seated around them let out involuntary exclamations of admiration.
There were even paladins present who had challenged the trial of the holy sword, so the emotions they felt were greater than one might imagine.
“So that is... the holy sword.”
“As expected, it is incredible. Though it is merely a sword, the divine power contained within it is beyond measure.”
In that situation, only Heinrich and the Saintess remained calm.
Even while everyone’s attention was captured by the holy sword, the ceremony naturally continued...
“...You shall be a sword that protects the weak and judges evil, and thus I appoint Heinrich Landguard as a paladin of the Order of the Supreme God.”
In a reverent atmosphere, the investiture ceremony came to an end. ‘This brings back memories.’ Though the scale was much larger now, the atmosphere had been similar when he became a holy knight.
Beautiful sunlight shattering through the colorful stained glass, and the benevolent atmosphere radiating from the solemn grand chapel.
Even the Saintess, smiling gently as she hung the holy emblem signifying a paladin around his neck.
It was a sacred scene, as if painted in a picture. 《The individual has fulfilled the conditions and attained enlightenment. Special Skill 「Great Blessing: Knight of Light」 has been acquired.》 Yes, even the system window that appeared at this timing was exactly the same as back then. ‘...Huh? Seriously?’ A tremendous amount of divine power burst momentarily from Heinrich’s body as he belatedly grew flustered.
Its nature was different from the blessings he had received until now.
Something deeper, heavier, and more intense filled his body.
Vast divine power surged through his entire body and slowly merged with the aura of the holy sword that had settled within him.
As if his mind had opened, his spirit was elevated in an instant, and his connection to the Supreme God began to grow even more solid. ‘Kuh...’ In order not to be swept away by that fierce current, Heinrich activated 「Mind Hub」 to the utmost and clenched his teeth.
If he let his guard down even for a moment, it felt as though his mind would be swept away and scattered.
At that moment, before his eyes...
The universe unfolded.
Hwaaaak.
—Meanwhile, the hearts of everyone who saw Heinrich wrapped in radiant light while holding the holy sword became one.
“Ah! A great blessing!”
“Ooh—! The grace of the Supreme God is with us!”
And just like during Heinrich’s holy knight investiture ceremony, the scale of the event instantly grew, and a prayer meeting was held.
Since they knew the Supreme God was watching this place, it was only natural that the prayers continued with even more fervor than usual.
In the midst of the venue heating up with fervor like that. ‘Ah...’ Heinrich’s mind, which had been blankly wrapped in light, slowly returned.
Within the universe that had unfolded in his heart, he could this time feel the will of the Supreme God a little more clearly.
Of course, just like before, what he could feel was still nothing but “interest.” ‘No, His will is so enormous that I can’t understand anything.’ Even if a tick evolved into an ant, all it could see beneath a human’s feet were the toes.
Since their levels were fundamentally different, there was no way to measure it in the first place.
Still, if He had bestowed something like a great blessing, did that not mean He was fairly pleased with Heinrich’s actions so far?
He would simply have to keep doing as he had until now. ‘If my patron is satisfied, then that’s a good thing.’
-Common Traits: 「Mind Hub」, 「Persona」, 「Super Regeneration」, 「Clear Mirror, Still Water」 -Individual Traits: 「Sacred Baptism」, 「Great Blessing: Knight of Light」, 「Blessing: Steel Body」, 「Blessing: Leap」, 「Blessing: Light Sword」, 「Blessing: Augmentation」, 「Blessing: Holy Sword」, 「Logia Holy Combat Art」, 「Martial Bones」, 「Auterica Holy Law」 -Special Notes: The upper limit of divine power has disappeared, allowing endless growth so long as the will permits it. The rank of divine power has greatly improved. The aura connected to the holy sword has settled in the body, strengthening physical abilities once again. By inheriting the memories of previous heroes, combat techniques have advanced by leaps and bounds.
An individual information window that was nothing short of dazzling.
He was gradually growing into a being worthy of standing against the Immortal King Hans... no, Hannibal Strauss. ‘Huh?’ Just as he was checking his individual information with satisfaction.
Heinrich saw his own hair fluttering at the edge of his vision and realized something else had changed. ‘White hair?’ No, although it had turned white from excessively taking in divine power, it was lustrous and shimmered subtly, so calling it simply white hair would be inaccurate.
Yes, if one had to compare it, it felt like the Saintess’s silver hair... ‘Ah, no way?’ At the thought that suddenly came to mind, he hurriedly reflected his face on the blade of the holy sword he was still holding.
The first thing that entered his eyes was the silver-white wave covering his head.
And. ‘...Golden eyes.’ On top of that, the shape of his face had subtly changed as well.
His appearance had not been much different from his main body until now, but with all sorts of elements adjusted and balanced, he had become someone anyone would call handsome. ‘No, my original face was definitely not ugly!’ He had even been told he was rather good-looking.
Yet after seeing Heinz II, Harris, and even Heinrich’s changed face, he felt dispirited without realizing it. ‘No, wait! This is all me too, isn’t it? There’s no need to feel inferior even toward my own avatar...’ As he stared blankly at his own face reflected in the blade, his head in disarray and spending a moment in solitary anguish—
“Sir Heinrich Saint Landguard. ...No.”
The Saintess approached with a gentle smile and spoke to him.
“Saint.”