Chapter 51
Honestly, I had hoped I could at least touch the edge of an Illusion Sword. With a troll's body, a Spirit Sword was a given.
"A pity, but not bad."
A sword with a slightly broad blade.
A broadsword. Both the scabbard and its exterior were grayish-white, giving the impression that it was made of bone.
Gwid.
Though it was a Spirit Sword, the soul residing within was that of a troll, and its innate ability was Spirit Descent.
"Spirit Descent, huh."
Spirit Descent (降神)
The act of calling down a god through folk incantations or spells; simply put, it could also be called possession.
"Probably descending the troll's spirit into the sword."
If so, Kallias would be able to use the troll's power, even if only for a brief moment.
'But Spirit Descent is mostly a one-time thing.'
He didn't know how long it would last.
He didn't know what risks there might be, so it was too early to simply rejoice.
"Still, having one more trump card for when things get dire isn't bad."
It was a wide and long two-handed sword, so he couldn't hang it at his waist. He would probably need to make a harness to carry it on his back. It was moderately heavy with a long reach, so unlike Roas, it would take some time to get used to.
"Troll's blood... what a waste."
Given its size, the blood it had spewed had pooled here and there like puddles. Kallias filled several pieces of pottery and vases he had obtained from the troll's junk pile with the blood. It was precious blood that he might not be able to obtain again.
He had to gather it while he could.
There was much that could be made with troll's blood.
"If only I had the double bag Brans carries, I could've gathered more."
Given the circumstances, he couldn't bring it, which was truly regrettable.
"I'll have to come back after the war."
The Vira tribe's relics would probably fetch a high price if sold to the Sacred Gold Artisans.
Even if they were damaged artifacts, they would be priceless items to them.
Just putting them up at the Cult's or Trista's auction house would make him a fortune.
"More money is always better."
After packing a few more Vira tribe relics into a suitable bag, he was about to leave the troll's cave when he paused.
"Hmm..."
He had been scanning the area with his Three-colored Eyes to see if there was anything else to pack, when something caught his attention.
"What's this?"
A faint golden shimmer flickered on what was clearly a bare wall.
Not the red or blue that were among the abilities of the Three-colored Eyes, but gold.
There must be something there.
If it were dangerous, the Three-colored Eyes would have shown red, so he didn't need to worry.
"Do I need to break through the wall."
He was about to draw the newly acquired Gwid, but put it back. Using a new sword for digging was a bit wasteful, so he drew Roas instead.
Kying.
It let out a sharp sword cry as if in complaint, but what could he do.
You're the easy one to use.
Taaeng!! Creating sword energy and swinging it at the wall, intense vibrations erupted.
But strangely, not even a single scratch appeared on the wall.
"What's this."
It was an ordinary-looking rock, yet not a single scratch appeared, making it even more suspicious.
"I don't remember hiding such a hidden piece."
Not even a scratch from the Predatory Sword.
Even so, it was still a Spirit Sword, so wasn't this a bit suspicious?
This was definitely not an ordinary wall.
Someone had clearly created it artificially.
The corners of his mouth curved into a smile.
Kallias sheathed the Predatory Sword and drew the Spirit Descent Sword—Gwid.
The grayish-white blade and the red edge, as if it had absorbed blood, gleamed in the light of the luminous stones.
Holding the Spirit Descent Sword properly, Kallias immediately poured divine power into it.
"Ugh."
Nearly 30% of his divine power was sucked away in an instant, and strange patterns spread across the blade.
When the patterns had fully spread, it took on an ominous greenish hue, and suddenly vitality surged through his entire body.
The composition of his muscles was different.
The grip of each joint of the hand holding the hilt felt distinctly different.
An incomparably powerful force surged up, and an uncontrollable desire for victory burned within him.
Gathering the overflowing power in both hands, he swung at once.
Kwaaaaaaang-!!
A tremendous roar that seemed to split heaven and earth spread, ringing throughout the entire cave.
"This is... good!!"
Before Kallias, who had swung the Spirit Descent Sword, the cave's inner wall had crumbled helplessly, creating dust and debris.
"What tremendous power. As expected, it's a sword that descends the troll's spirit."
He could use the troll's power.
The time limit seemed short, but it could shine in moments of crisis.
The more trump cards, the better.
Ssssss.
The Spirit Descent wore off.
The duration was quite short.
He could maintain it longer, but the divine power it consumed was too enormous.
Just using it briefly had taken away nearly 30% of his divine power.
But the benefits were certain.
"I see. Even the troll's regeneration."
Partly because he had drunk a potion, but during Spirit Descent, regeneration increased exponentially. Thanks to that, Kallias's wounds had almost fully recovered, about 90%.
His body was light, and there was no particular risk from Spirit Descent.
If there was one, it was just that it consumed too much divine power.
"I was disappointed that it wasn't an Illusion Sword, but with this much, there's no need to be disappointed."
It felt like a windfall.
Click.
Having sheathed the Spirit Descent Sword, Kallias crossed the landscape he had created with light steps.
He had smashed about three meters of the outer wall, creating a passageway.
"As I thought."
The walls spread out from the inside were strange.
Rather than naturally formed stone, things like artificially made mud and stone walls protruded.
The bizarre bricks were engraved with geometric patterns and runes, and from the end of the passage, a subtly felt divine aura brought a refreshing sensation.
"Divine power."
He could feel the energy of a god.
'A sacred relic... probably not.'
Sacred relics don't reveal their divine power so openly like this.
Rather, they're mostly hidden away tightly.
So this wasn't a sacred relic.
Then, wondering what it could be, one thing came to mind.
"Don't tell me that's here?"
Kallias quickened his pace even more.
Pukeok!
Kicking the collapsing stone wall, Kwang! It crumbled down and cold air brushed across his forehead.
Amidst the crumbled stone wall.
Kallias's eyes widened.
"I never expected to find this."
A saint of the Cult who was revered as a holy maiden. She who had suddenly gone missing in the North.
The main quest he was currently undertaking.
She who was called the wheel of the North.
"Fatalité. Why are you here."
On her knees.
A statue gripping her own sword as if in proof of her devoutness, praying.
A saint of the Cult and the highest-ranking Paladin.
The second holy maiden who had reached Master rank.
Fatalité stood there, frozen like stone.
"A saint's divine power. I've felt it through sacred stones before, but such vast divine power... truly amazing."
The depleted divine power began to fill up in an instant. Divine power had been nearly exhausted from the previous battles and the troll's Spirit Descent ability, but just by standing here quietly, the consumed power began to refill.
In Pilgrim's Sword, when a saint dies, sacred stones that have accumulated like relics inside their body emerge.
But that was an amount smaller than a fist.
"Fatalité..."
She would have possessed a large amount of sacred stones within her body.
And so she died, and as long ages passed, the sacred stones merely made her crumbling flesh harden like stone.
[Fatalité]
[You have witnessed the devoutness of Fatalité who became a divine stone and made this a sacred ground]
[Having witnessed the marvelous final moments of the holy maiden, your faith increases]
[Faith +10]
There were many questionable parts.
According to the settings, Fatalité was last seen in the North, and it was only stated that she never showed her figure again.
What happened to her after that was something even he didn't know.
But to think she had ended her life here. He had suspected it might be, but truly finding Fatalité here brought many thoughts.
'Fatalité, huh...'
There were many puzzling points, but he decided not to think too long about it.
From the beginning, his very existence in this world was an inexplicable part.
Looking at her with bittersweet eyes, he took something out from the holy mark on the back of his hand.
A single flower with an exquisite harmony of black and white.
It was Valterus's Tear.
"I can plant it here."
Valterus's Tear grows and sows seeds only in places untouched by the sun and with strong divine power.
In other words, only in places designated as sacred grounds.
This place was where Fatalité's remains, who had been nominated as a saint after Stella, had turned to stone and become a sacred ground, making it the perfect place to plant Valterus's Tear.
There would be no better place than this.
As if in memorial, he planted Valterus's Tear before her, who was kneeling demurely and gripping her sword. As soon as he planted it, the flower bloomed fully as if absorbing her divine power, glistening with a subtle silver light.
He watched the flower and her from a distance for a long while.
Looking at the picturesque scene, it felt as if he was transcending the alien destiny that surrounded his environment.
But he shook his head and turned his back.
"I should go up now."
The North was still at war.
The orcs were still eyeing the North, and the Empire's puppets were hoping for Carpe's barrier to fall.
Even as this was happening, the orc's axe was striking down at the heart of the North, so he needed to return to the battlefield as soon as possible.
Kwang! Crumble!
Blocking the passage by collapsing the wall again, gathering what he needed, and coming out of the cave, there was once again thick darkness and a foul stench.
The presence of beasts filled the surroundings.
The magical beasts at the bottom of the cliff, including the Rugalu, had gathered, smelling the blood.
-Grrrrr.
The low growling of beasts directed toward Kallias, who was alone.
They approached with red eyes glowing like beasts hunting prey.
However, Kallias's eyes were directed beyond them, not at them.
"Luteon..."
That one wouldn't die.
He wasn't one to die to mere magical beasts.
Even so, not ending his life was my greed.
Next time they met. That was when he would make him into a sword.
Until then, I would become stronger.
Kallias glanced at them and raised his left hand, spreading Leteti's wings.
Shwaruruk!
The spread wings fluttered according to his will and floated in the sky.
Whiishing!!
Leaving behind the sharp wind and the magical beasts watching in vain.
Kallias flew up to the surface.
* * *
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The sound of orcs stamping their feet could be heard from here. The sound and the vibrations felt underfoot created an unwarranted sense of fear and heightened anxiety.
"Sir Livan. Where is Sir Rini?"
Orphin hastily searched for Rini.
With signs of war about to begin, her urgency became even more pronounced.
"She went to observe the orcs' movements."
At Orphin's question, Livan nodded as if he understood, while wiping his sword with a dry cloth.
"Are you trying to go back to where Kallias fell?"
"......"
"He's probably already dead. You know it too, Orphin. It was a deep abyss so dark that even dropping a torch wouldn't make it visible. Falling from there, surviving would be a miracle. Even if he miraculously survived, how would he climb back up? I was born and raised in the North, but I've never heard of people who disappeared in the Sunken Forest coming back alive."
"......"
Orphin fell silent.
Livan was right.
Ever since the day Kallias fell.
They had tried so many things.
Tying grass and tree vines together to make a long rope and lowering it, dropping torches to see...
But even after a week passed, there was no news, and the knights who had waited with hope were now completely accepting his death.
"Orphin. He saved us, and he was a strong knight. Kallias wasn't a disgrace who tarnished the name of Zervan, but a knight who shone brighter than anyone."
Livan now.
Only after his death did he acknowledge him.
"Didn't you dislike him?"
"I did. But I can't keep hating someone who's already dead. It's also true that Kallias was outstanding."
But he was dead.
Even if he were alive, there was no way to save him, so wasn't it the same as being dead?
So it was time to give up now.
That was what Livan was saying.
"The orcs are still strong. Jaibarsh is holding firm, but it'll soon start to struggle. Fortunately, Kallias plundered their supplies, so taking just this would be a big help. The problem is how to transport it."
Even as Livan spoke calmly, Orphin swallowed a sigh.
If Kallias were here.
If he were alive, measures regarding him would have proceeded without issue.
He had said he knew a secret path to transport the supplies.
But since he hadn't told anyone in advance, they couldn't use that method.
Even though they had seized the military rations, they had no means to transport them, so they could only sigh heavily.
Things that wouldn't have been a problem at all if he were alive.
"Sir Livan is right. Sir Orphin. His death is regrettable, but those who survived must do what needs to be done."
It was Jack.
After Kallias's death.
He had shown great interest in Livan and began following him. Already he was lining up behind Livan.
Not just Jack, but other knights were also slowly taking sides, already dividing between Livan or Emily, trying to align with one of the two.
"Sir Jack. He threw himself into the abyss along with a powerful enemy to save us. Our being alive right now is also thanks to his arrangement."
"That's exactly my point. So that his sacrifice won't be in vain! Shouldn't we wield our swords for the North?"
Orphin was at a loss for words.
He had no appropriate words to counter back.
The imperial knight who had suddenly appeared was strong. He possessed robust physical abilities and a spear of high grade.
His explosive power was enough to make knights tremble with fear, enough to drive them to death in an instant.
If it weren't for Kallias.
If he hadn't sacrificed himself, everyone there might have died.
"Sir Orphin."
"Sir Allen. What's the matter?"
"The situation doesn't look good. It seems the earth dragon and orcs we missed have reached the army."
"That's right."
It was Rini and Emily.
Both of their complexions were not good compared to before.
"Sir Rini. Lady Emily. How was it?"
"The sound of orcs stamping their feet. You can hear it from here. I think another battle will break out around today or dawn. We need to prepare too."
It was then.
Puuuuuu-!
A horn trumpet vibrated the air.
The signal for deployment that made one's heart drop.
A horn sound like a scream announcing the beginning of war cut across the blue sky.
Everyone flinched and looked back, and in their eyes, a green wave surged and moved.
"Kallias......"
Her small lips, full of sighs, could only call his name pitifully.