Chapter 169
In a religious order that worships a god.
The existence of a saintess holds quite a significant meaning.
Just how great would be the repercussions caused by the death of such a saintess?
Though he didn't know exactly, Callius thought it would cause quite significant repercussions.
'Lucky.'
The advanced timing.
The corruption that appeared because of it.
Callius was able to face the saintess who had exhausted herself dealing with it alone.
Thanks to that, he was able to capture the saintess without much effort.
"You could have avoided it."
The reason she didn't avoid it but blocked it was probably because of those two.
The Empire's 10th and 11th Spears.
It must be because of those two.
Thanks to that, things went smoothly.
The saintess who could have avoided Callius's attacks if she were alone.
But she didn't do that.
It would be more accurate to say she couldn't.
"The duty and conviction of a saintess."
Truly, an action befitting a saintess.
Callius felt like willingly applauding her.
"But now you can't even escape."
Thanks to her noble conviction, her injuries are severe.
Even though she protected herself, the Empire's Spears beside her ultimately became charred lumps.
No, they were turning to ash.
The arms holding their spears were turning to ash and falling off, and their faces and bodies were so blackened that their original appearances couldn't even be found.
They had suffered damage so severe that recovery was impossible even if left alone.
Of course, it wasn't much different for the saintess either. Somehow she protected her body, but she didn't seem to have the strength to wield a spear again.
'Holy water isn't omnipotent either.'
The body needs time to recover.
Holy water merely makes that recovery period extremely short.
The saintess needed time to recover her body, but Callius had no intention of leaving her be.
Swoosh.
Callius, who had approached the saintess in an instant, aimed his sword.
Through her hair that flowed down like a waterfall.
Callius's sword was aimed at the pale nape of the saintess.
"As one who seeks the pinnacle of martial arts, this isn't a very pleasant outcome."
The duty of a noble makes one corner of his mind uneasy. However, killing her is also the duty of a noble belonging to Carpe.
"Any last words?"
At Callius's question, the saintess's eyes soon calm down.
"I saw it. I saw it, so it's enough."
Callius.
Her figure smiling softly with blood flowing down her face imprinted on his retina.
Because of that.
"……!"
Callius's figure staggers.
A memory suddenly flashing through his mind.
The hot pleasure on the bed overlaps with the woman in Callius's retina.
The scent he smelled, the conversations they shared.
Her voice and skin texture. And the woman's heated face.
A face smiling softly like now.
Her face back then and her face now were exactly the same.
"What... the..."
Callius grabbed his forehead at the absurdly rising memory and stepped back.
"…?"
Unlike her who didn't understand what was going on.
Callius called her name stuttering with a face that seemed shocked.
"…Ailie."
"How do you know my name..."
"Ailie de Beriaren."
Her hair color changed.
Her impression changed a bit.
But she was a woman Callius knew well.
He had thought it strange that her face seemed somehow familiar.
"Why are you here? No, how did you become the Empire's saintess?"
Ailie de Beriaren.
A woman who shared her body with Callius, bore his child, and was said to have died.
She was precisely Emily's mother.
"What do you mean..."
But the person in question had a face that didn't know.
He thought maybe it was just a similar face, but no.
Absurdly, Callius could easily recognize her overall physique and various parts remaining in his memory.
She was definitely Ailie.
Then why does she have no memory?
What was the reason she was reported dead?
'Was she expelled from the family?'
After being driven out, she left Emily in the north and lost her memory while fleeing?
And became a person of the Empire like that...
Come to think of it, the place where the saintess's famous journey began is the Colosseum.
He heard it was from a slave gladiator.
The puzzle roughly comes together.
If there's one thing that bothers him.
'Then I don't know what she meant by the Day of Beginning.'
Anyway, it's extremely flustering.
He met Emily's mother whom he thought was dead, and she's the enemy nation's saintess!
The ways of the world are truly ironic.
"Do you know me?"
"…What is the Day of Beginning?"
"What do you mean what is the Day of Beginning. The day the Challenger set foot in this world is exactly..."
"Challenger?"
Soon the saintess's eyes widen.
She retracts what she concluded earlier.
This person.
Callius is not the Challenger.
He seemed not to know the Day of Beginning.
Rather, he seemed to know her well.
Ailie de Beriaren.
The fact that he knew her original name was proof of that.
What should I do.
The saintess's eyes wandered.
"You're hiding something."
"……."
What to do.
The standard would be to kill her right now.
She possesses strong power, and if left alive, the Empire's power will only grow day by day.
But the words "Day of Beginning" and "Challenger" couldn't be easily passed over. Especially the fact that he didn't seem to know Emily.
'More information is needed.'
So he'll keep her alive for now.
Moreover, keeping her as a hostage would be even more useful.
They were increasingly becoming able to compete with the Empire, but that was limited to short-term decisive battles. The longer it's dragged into a prolonged war, the more they'll eventually be overwhelmed in scale.
If the saintess died, the Empire would be enraged and the Emperor would be given justification to declare war immediately. But if the saintess was taken hostage, they would grind their teeth but wouldn't be able to move easily.
While they hesitate, Carpe can make more preparations.
On top of that.
'Maybe she could even be persuaded.'
Anyway, she is Emily's mother.
If she sees the child, her memories might come back, and at the very least she might be able to cooperate.
"Will you spare me?"
"I've changed my mind. It seems you have many things I don't know about."
Soon several swords popped out from Callius's hand.
They were corpses made from the guys who attacked him on the pilgrimage.
When he grabbed them and released demonic power for a moment to use divine arts, they soon lost their form and turned into light.
"Don't resist."
He took the holy spear, Raphael, from her hands. Ailie didn't resist.
The corpses turned into light soon hardened and bound Ailie's two hands as well.
The Saintess of Lactus.
Ailie became Carpe's prisoner.
But at that moment.
A massive killing intent engulfed Callius.
Kwajajajajajak Kwang-!
Suddenly, golden lightning struck down from the sky.
At the golden lightning that struck down like a flash in the blink of an eye, Callius had no choice but to use instant steps momentarily.
"Who the hell are you?"
Callius's eyes sank sharply.
The saintess was hanging at his side, but she answered instead.
"Sir Alex..."
"…The Empire's Fourth Spear."
Lightning Spear Alex.
The Empire's Spear wielding a spear resembling lightning from some myth.
Alex.
"Tch."
Callius's mood became uncomfortable at his appearance.
Lightning Spear Alex.
He was a strong one called the fourth strongest in the Empire and at the same time could be said to be the most troublesome opponent.
Because his lightning spear, Gehela, had quite an annoying ability.
'Thunder God.'
Alex's lightning spear.
Its unique ability is Thunder God.
It turns the body into lightning.
Its application methods are infinite.
A man whose body itself becomes lightning.
His movement speed itself is extremely fast, and each action carries lightning energy.
A man who is hard to attack and hard to defend against.
That is exactly Lightning Spear Alex.
"One step too late... I'll get scolded."
It seemed he had seen the already dead Empire's Spears, Vjunerren and Jollet.
But he didn't seem particularly angry.
Just an expression saying it became troublesome.
Alex's appearance was far from solemnity unlike his epithet.
The appearance of a young man scratching the back of his head as if bothered looked quite casual.
But he couldn't let his guard down.
He was the Empire's Fourth Spear regardless.
He was not an opponent to be taken lightly.
"I'm late, but I still have to do what I need to do. Saintess, please wait a little."
A tone lightly greeting.
However, Alex's figure immediately turned into lightning and disappeared.
"……!"
The one who disappeared like a golden flash had already gone up to the sky and gripped his spear.
The sky was already full of dark clouds, and through the darkness covering the sun, Alex's golden lightning covered the sky.
It's coming.
At the figure of the guy who rose to the sky, Callius held the saintess with one hand and gripped the Predator Sword tightly with the other.
And the Empire's Spear who tightly gripped his spear raised his arm.
"First Night - Thunderstorm."
Rumble.
Soon a rain of flashing golden lightning mercilessly struck down across the area.
Kwagawagawagawa!
The rain of lightning devastating the surroundings.
While the thunderstorm smashed everything, an intense bolt of lightning struck down.
Kaaang-!!
An intense lightning that pierced the earth in one strike.
As the smoke cleared, Callius's figure could be seen blocking the spearhead.
"Wow... You blocked this?"
Turning the body into lightning could be considered quite an advantage.
Because it can transform into any form and any attack is possible.
Most Masters wouldn't be able to lift a finger against him.
Of course, Callius originally wasn't much different either.
Because lightning electrocutes upon contact and causes burns and paralysis to the body.
However.
"The timing was good."
The lightning flashing on the spearhead.
The yellowish electricity spreading in all directions uniquely couldn't pierce through Callius's sword.
It was right after the Predator Sword's grade had risen.
If it were before, he would have had quite a hard time.
But now it's different.
Because the Predator Sword Roas had become able to devour the energy itself.
That was no different for the Lightning Spear's lightning either.
Kigik, kigigik!
Sparks flew between the Lightning Spear and the Predator Sword as a contest of strength continued.
Alex's expression trying to push with force changed moment by moment.
'What kind of strength...'
He's being pushed back.
He also possessed arm strength that would be recognized as monstrous anywhere.
Because by turning the body into lightning, he could also release the muscles' limits.
He thought that temporarily, Alex's arm strength wouldn't be much different even compared to a troll.
However.
"Are you a dragon or something?"
Gudddddug.
He was using both hands, and the guy was holding the saintess with only one arm, yet he was being pushed back.
On top of that.
'He's nullifying all my lightning.'
It felt like the sword itself was devouring his lightning.
Moreover, the defense on the other side was perfect. Something uncanny kept cleverly twisting the direction of the lightning.
'Is it divine arts?'
Alex's brow furrowed.
'A complete monster.'
Typical Masters cannot use divine arts while engaging in close combat.
The reason is simple.
It's a matter of efficiency and spare capacity.
Unless one has two heads, it was difficult, and it was better to use that effort to wield a weapon and focus on combat.
But this guy was doing it simultaneously. More perfectly.
While holding the saintess at his side no less.
Anyone other than Alex who saw it would think he was a monster.
Tat.
Alex's gaze, who had temporarily kept his distance, turned elsewhere.
The knights standing behind him.
And the Ironscale Dragon. The strange wolf.
Other heteromorphic races.
All of them seemed to be on his side.
'Should I target them instead?'
Since the guy also took the saintess as a hostage.
There's no rule saying he couldn't do the same.
But.
'Can I even do it?'
It's not impossible but it seemed meaningless.
It also seemed quite difficult.
'It can't be helped.'
In the end, Alex gripped his spear again.
It's troublesome and difficult but it can't be helped.
Because he couldn't let Carpe take away the Empire's saintess like this.
Kung!!
The Empire's Spear takes a big step.
Then, from the spear gripped with both hands, electricity incomparable to before started bursting out.
"……."
Callius's eyes narrowed.
He had sent two of the Empire's Spears away in a single exchange. But those ranked fifth and below have a different power than those two.
Moreover, the Fire Dragon Sword had already cooled long ago.
It can't be used.
The Fourth Spear taking a proper stance.
Unlike the greeting earlier, this time Callius also had to fight properly.
Callius also gripped the Predator Sword.
Each raises their full power.
One to rescue the captured saintess.
One to not let go of the captured hostage.
In a hair-trigger situation, as the Empire's Spear was about to take the initiative.
"Stop."
No one other than the saintess's mouth stopped him.
"…Saintess?"
Alex froze holding his spear with a bewildered face.
"We lost a lot from this expedition. I can't lose you too, so please go back. I'll take care of myself."
"……."
Callius also momentarily lost his words. Who would have thought the Empire's saintess would volunteer to be a hostage.
"…His Majesty the Emperor will surely be displeased."
"It can't be helped. But it's fine since we learned now at least."
The Empire suffered a lot of damage.
But they came to know more clearly.
The power of the dragon and the corrupted.
And the power that Carpe's sword possessed.
So this ends here for this time.
"Lightning Spear. You cannot save me."
"……."
At the saintess's words, the Lightning Spear looked around.
The unusual elf, dwarf, and dragon race.
And the densely packed black knights.
Lastly... that Carpe noble holding the saintess. Compared to that, the Empire only had the Lightning Spear alone.
"Yes. That's right. It's also a meaningless fight if I can't save the Saintess..."
Since the person herself was wanting it.
Alex saw the ashes that had filled the surroundings at some point.
And looking at the man holding the saintess, he let out a hollow laugh.
"Let's meet again soon."
Rumble!
At the sight of Alex turning into lightning and disappearing, the ashes that filled the surroundings melted away like snow.
"Arrogant bastard."
Callius, who put down the saintess, sheathed Roas.
And looked down at the saintess.
"You did something unnecessary."
"I am the Empire's saintess after all."
Hmph.
Callius, who snorted, soon organized the situation.
He had many things to ask, but there was plenty of time anyway.
Since Ailie didn't seem to have any intention of escaping, he left her alone for now and first looked for the other saintess who was truly coughing like she was dying.
"Junis. I got a pretty good body, do you want it?"
The Saintess of the Shield.
Junis, who had tried to deceive and mess with Callius, raised her head with a dying face.
"…Give it."
"Swear in God's name."
An oath made in God's name by a saintess.
There is no oath with stronger binding force than that.
"What..."
A face that looked like she would die soon.
But Callius didn't even blink.
"That you will obey me."
Junis's face turned even darker, and the corners of Callius's mouth drew a curve.
"Cra...zy."
"Swear it. Or die."
Death.
Or submission.
In the end, Junis had no choice.