Vol. 2 Chapter 213
Secret Move
Translated by Raizu
Just a reminder:
■ Priestess Diana
She committed the monster terrorist attack in Newnelly.
A low-ranking priest extremist.
■ Priest Terrotris
One of the highest priests of the Zeth Holy High Society.
Diana’s superior and an extremist high priest.
A deep forest spreading at the foot of Mount Seika, southwest of the Royal Capital Levios.
The roots of the trees cover the ground, the fallen trees remain in place until they rot away, and the vegetation that grows in all directions hides even animal trails. Untouched by human hands, this land is pristine.
Even the light of the moon barely penetrates the thick foliage curtains that wrap the forest.
A man was desperately running through the primeval forest on such a dark night. While getting stuck on a bad road and blocked by trees, he still moved his body recklessly.
He had to run away… that was the only thought that filled his head.
The man is a Lord.
He could’ve used lighting magic if he wanted to. However, shining a light in this ever-dark area is like giving off his position to the pursuers.
The man had no choice but to strengthen his five senses with magic and follow his instincts to escape. Just like a wild beast.
However, the end is approaching moment by moment.
With his heightened sense of hearing, he understood that the pursuers were approaching little by little.
And in the next moment, a ray of sword light cut through the darkness and attacked the man.
[Kuh!!]
A strong metallic sound of swords colliding cut through the quiet space.
[Don’t think you can escape.]
The woman who was chasing him is also a Lord.
The fugitive and the pursuer confront each other in a slightly open area, drawing their weapons and transitioning into warriors.
[Ha!!]
The clash between the two swords, with the wielders’ physical strength and athletic ability having been greatly improved by physical strengthening magic, made a violent sound that would cause ordinary people to tremble in fear.
The small animals in the forest fled like rabbits from the loud noise, and the pursuer’s subordinates followed the sound and tried to gather up.
At this rate, he would be surrounded――the fugitive man felt cold sweat running down his back.
[You think you have a lot of leeway to worry about your surroundings?]
The female pursuer laughed.
[Haaaaa!!]
Against such a sudden attack, the man had no choice other than to defend himself against such a fierce sword.
[Nuuu!?]
He shouldn’t have made such a decision. By the time the man noticed, it was already too late.
The man’s sword was cracked with each blow, but the woman’s stay intact. She must’ve applied hardening magic to her weapon right before impact. It shows how articulative her use of magic is. Unlike physical strengthening magic, which is often used on a daily basis, this magic reveals the difference in the two combatants’ experience. Applying strong hardening only at the moment of impact is not something that can be learned overnight.
Seeing the man’s turmoil as an opportunity, the woman slammed into him with a powerful blow.
A high-pitched sound that pierces the eardrum echoes, and the man’s sword is broken at the base.
“This is bad,” the man thought as he reached for the dagger on his waist――
[Kh!!!]
His wrist was cut off.
The woman predicted that if his main weapon failed, he would try to use the sub-weapon he wore on his waist, and fired the strongest blow with all of her body-enhancing magic.
She might be more experienced, but if she didn’t land the decisive blow quickly, the recoil of the magic could actually put her in a pinch. The woman did it as she was swinging her sword.
[It’s the end.]
The woman did not overlook the man’s confusion due to the chopped off wrist.
The second attack with maximum enhancement cut through the man’s abdomen, and a part of his viscera splattered on the ground.
[Guu!!]
Without a moment’s delay, the bottom of the palm was hammered into the man’s chest. The man’s body was blown away in a beautiful arc and fell to the ground.
The woman mercilessly pursues the man who can no longer resist. The slashing attacks of the unrelenting warrior trampled the man’s body.
The fight had been concluded.
The woman finally stopped moving the sword when she was able to determine that he would not be able to move without being healed by her master after receiving such fatal damage.
[Just a mere mercenary. It was brilliant that you managed to sneak into our base, but you’re too foolish to draw your sword against us. Did you think you could beat us, who guarded the Holy City, in martial arts even for a moment?]
[Fu…g, guu… kuu… ku, fu… huf,huf…!]
The man who was seriously injured on the brink of death gasped as he stared at the woman. In fact, it was true that he underestimated her.
With the battle over, the female pursuer’s companions arrived one after another.
[Damage report?]
Her voice as she asked that question was so calm that it was hard to believe that she had been fighting to the death just now.
[No allies were injured, there was no theft, including sacrifices. All the other attackers have also been detained.]
The woman nodded lightly.
She looked at the man while wiping the blood off her sword with a cloth.
[It’s someone from Cattlearch’s hand.]
The shredded man refused to say anything in regard to that.
At that attitude, the woman turned her gaze as though she was looking at dirt.
[Do those who serve the old family even have mouths to speak?]
She continued to the man who showed no reaction.
[Shut up. We’ve lost a lot of our comrades thanks to your childish robbery, you know?]
The theft by priests in the Levios territory was caused by two factions: the women’s faction, which had been active for a long time, and another faction, which had recently begun to be active.
There is no point of contact between these two factions. Each of them was acting behind the scenes in the Levios territory.
And just as the woman said, the vigilance of the Levios family was strengthened due to the theft caused by the camp to which the man belonged, causing her subordinates and companions who happened to be working on a different matter to be killed.
From the perspective of the women’s camp, the movement of the men’s camp was nothing but a hindrance.
[Reflect even a little here and now.]
The woman held up her sword after cleaning it with a cloth and thrust it at the back of the lying man.
The man felt the cold tip of his sword on his back, but all he could do was glare at her.
[Ha…ha… d, damn…!]
She swung her sword with the sound of the wind blowing. The tip of the blade cuts the man’s back very slightly. Little by little, the woman shaved off the man’s flesh as if torturing him.
In contrast to the woman who danced her sword lightly, the man closed his mouth and endured the pain. In contrast to the woman who danced her sword lightly, the man closed his mouth and endured the pain.
[…I don’t understand. You know what the old family is doing now.]
The woman stopped her sword and continued talking.
[Such a disrespectful thing as joining hands with the head of a loathsome Noble. It is not enough to cause chaos, and it is even obstructing the resurrection of the Holy City. Isn’t this the greatest betrayal of all believers?]
She spoke with a strong emotion welling up in her chest.
[It’s mischievously confusing the Holy City, and even though it’s allied with the enemy’s forces, it’s now plotting another evil scheme behind the scenes…]
The woman’s eyes were bleeding with the color of hatred and she couldn’t get out.
[I’m really sick of the bad habits of the old family. This time, following the last time, the rank of Holy Maiden has been greatly reduced.]
The man glared at the woman with strong eyes and squeezed his voice as hard as he could.
[…the one who’s blinded by desire for power…is you guys! Together…! Ha… ha… we will…complete our honorable mission…]
[Are you trying to fool us?]
First of all, anything is fine, let them talk, that is the basis of interrogation in the Holy Army.
She was a little irritated by the man’s words, but she was satisfied with the opening of her mouth.
[I… I have not pledged allegiance to the Cattlearch family… Haa… Haa… I’m just trying to be a true believer! I don’t understand the heretics who are slaves to the Terrotrist and plug their ears to the voices of other…!]
The faction that the woman belongs to… The faction led by Priest Terrotris, one of the highest priests of the Zeth Holy High Society, has been carrying out intelligence activities in various Noble territories for decades.
Overthrowing the Nobles and regaining the priest’s authority, he devoted himself to this goal. For her, the man’s words were extremely unpleasant.
[The puppets of the old family are pathetic. Who has protected St. Navempos since the turbulent times, covered in blood and mud on the battlefield? What were the cathedral chairmen doing and what did they do for us? …Only comrade Terrorist accepted our feelings.]
The man gave a sneer at the woman who calmly told her while suppressing her anger. It’s all bravado.
[…if you want to be worshiped as the protector of the land… you should just disguise yourself as Nobles together with Terrotris…]
For a woman who has lived as a soldier of the Holy Army, those words are the greatest insult.
However, in reality, the values of the current priest have changed, albeit little by little. The values of the Nobles who want to be the protectors of the land were mixed in, albeit slightly.
The fact that Terrotris, who was not from a prestigious family, was chosen as the supreme priest and was able to build a faction in the Holy City was also influenced by that. He has been a member of the Holy Army since he was young, repelling many mature demon beasts and defending the Holy City from invasion by independent Noble families. Among the residents of the Holy City and those involved in the Holy Army, there are many people who respect Terrorist, albeit to varying degrees.
The troubled times called for a strong protector. It can be said that it is caused by the flow of the times.
However, of course the priests could not honestly admit that.
[…..continue the interrogation.]
[Yes.]
The woman suppresses her anger and orders her subordinates to interrogate the man.
Make him talk, even if you have to gut his stomach… she had made him talk, so she decided to leave the stomach gutting part to her subordinates.
A female subordinate grabbed the man’s hair and violently lifted his face while raising her voice and interrogating him in a torturous manner.
She took a few steps back to observe the scene while cleaning her sword.
[Tell me the purpose of sneaking in! Recapture the sacrifice!?]
[How did you find out about this place!? Spit it out!]
[What is the old family planning!? What is that hideous thing!?]
The Terrotrist camp took severe reprisals after the men’s camp screwed up in the theft case.
Upon discovering the men’s camp’s hideout, they immediately assaulted them, robbed them of their funds, supplies, and stolen items, and kidnapped many of their camp’s Lords.
They were probably tracked down during the transfer. And the purpose of the infiltration, it must be to recapture the sacrifice…abducted the Lords and the item they had stolen. That’s what she thought. But of course, it’s just a prediction. The interrogation will have to make the man vomit everything, including things they already know.
[…I would like to dispose of the sacrifice as soon as possible.]
[What a mess.]
It was intended as a monologue, but there was a voice in response.
The woman turned around and confirmed the identity of the sympathizer who suddenly appeared. She looked surprised.
[When did you arrive?]
[Just now.]
The female subordinates also noticed this new existence and temporarily stopped the torture.
And the man who was tortured also knew the identity of the person who suddenly appeared.
[P… Priestess Ephial, what is the meaning of this…!?]
The intruder, called Ephial, silently turned her cold gaze towards the man.
[There is no way…a High Priestess of the Holy City… Priestess Ephial, why are you…here!?]
It’s not that easy for a priest to sneak into Levios Kingdom territory. Even though the Terrotrist camp has accumulated know-how through many years of intelligence activities, it is extremely difficult to send Lord-class in, let alone a Highlord.
The woman says as if to answer the man’s question.
[The Holy Army has many eyes and ears in order to protect the Holy City from foreign enemies.]
That’s not all, but there’s no need to tell the man. The woman stopped there.
Both this woman and the priestess Ephial are soldiers.
Ephial was a young female General who had the authority to lead tens of thousands of troops, and the man knew her face and her origins. That’s why he couldn’t understand why she’s here.
[Did you think I was one of those people who spend their days fighting for chairs in the cathedral?]
That word could only mean that Ephial belongs to the Terrotrist camp.
The man squeezed his head filled with pain and desperately thought.
Ephial is someone who holds the position of both a priestess and a soldier. But, her behavior has a strong color of the latter. It may be inevitable that she eventually turn to Terrotrist’s side.
However, Ephial’s family is a Holy House. Despite that, why does she belong to the Terrotris camp, which should be called an anti-Holy family…?
[…..using the Holy Army… they’re just trying to steal the chair, right… Gufu…!]
Even among the most respected lineages in the Holy City, there are ranks among them. Ephial’s parents’ house is treated as the lowest family among the Holy Houses.
As long as the power of the old family continues to hold power, Ephial won’t be able to gain much authority. That’s why she must have changed sides to the powerful Terrotrist camp. The man concluded.
Enraged by the man’s words, the woman pulled out her sword again, but Ephial raised her hand to stop her. Then, as if she didn’t care about the man’s words, she quietly looked up at the sky.
[We’re not stealing it, just taking back what is ours. The authority that once prevailed in this world.]
The man was unable to respond to those words.
This is because Ephial’s voice was so sincere that it didn’t sound like she was acting only thinking about the power struggle within the Holy House.
That’s the end of the conversation. The torture resumed.
The woman ignored the man’s presence and asked Ephial a question.
[Please tell me about the situation in the Holy City.]
The newly arriving Ephial should know the latest information about the Holy City.
For the sake of her future plans, she needed to hear about it.
[…it’s not good. The Holy City is greatly shaken by the escape of the Holy Maiden, and each faction has not completely clarified the colors of the flag. If the Kingdom of Levios moves in this situation, the pragmatic faction, including the Supreme Priest Renessa, will suddenly flow to the old family, and the majority will be decided…]
[The fact that our camp lost credibility due to the incident with Priestess Diana also has an effect… Originally, it was because the subordinates of the old family caused unnecessary incidents!]
[Right now, a large-scale social gathering is being held in the Royal Capital. I don’t know what kind of negotiations the Cattlearch family had come up with, but perhaps… Since our camp is friendly to independent Noble families, it’s probably a one-sided attack by the Royal Noble Allied Forces to trample them down.]
While creating an invasion route to St. Navempos, they threaten us. “You’re the next target”.
The Holy City is still in the process of reconstruction, and if a full-scale war breaks out here, the damage would be immeasurable. Perhaps people will die out and the land will be devastated, and it may never be possible to recover. The Kingdom of Levios has the power to devote itself to harassment.
A faction that emphasizes practical benefits would probably prefer a surrender with certain conditions rather than an all-out resistance. And it is the camp of the old family that organizes it. The power structure within Saint Navempos will remain unshakable.
[…..I understand.]
After asking several questions, the woman grasped the current situation. It is also that their camp is inferior.
The woman thanked her attendants lightly and looked at Ephial.
She seemed to be waiting for the woman to finish listening, and opened her mouth as soon as she caught her gaze.
[It would have been best if we could have arrived before social gathering began in the capital… Either way, we don’t have much time left. Please guide me, that’s what I’m here for.]
She understood immediately what she meant and guided Ephial to the most important place in their stronghold.
The woman, Ephial, and her subordinates walk side by side through the forest, which is difficult to walk through. When the position of the moon visible through the gaps in the trees reached its highest point, they finally arrived at the place.
[I intend to prepare according to the instructions in the letter that arrived earlier.]
[…..hmm, it’s not bad. With this, we should be able to release it tomorrow at the fastest.]
After observing the scene prepared there for a while, Ephial said with satisfaction.
[Will there be any problem?]
[Well, it’s true that there’s some distance to the Royal Capital, but there shouldn’t be any problem. It’s already been confirmed that it’s possible to guide the demon beast for a short period of time.]
Magic that could guide demon beasts was a long lost technique.
Although she had heard about it, the woman showed a slightly surprised expression when she was told of its existence by the person herself.
[It’s a magic recreated through research. Most likely different from the magic that Founding Father Zeth used. Besides, my…my Highlord magic power is limited to Enzalf-class. To guide something stronger would probably require the power of a progenitor.]
[So, it still requires a huge amount of power.]
[Yes, like using magic to direct a misfortune to someplace else.]
With a cold smile, Ephial silently confirmed the preparations for the ceremony.
If Ephial just fulfilled that role, no grandiose ceremony was necessary. However, a certain amount of performance was necessary when performing a big action. There is also the meaning of rewarding the achievements of her subordinates who have continued their intelligence activities for many years. This kind of attention to detail seems to be obvious to a soldier of the Holy Army.
[…Anyway, what a horrifying thing the old family thought.]
[I don’t know how you feel about this. But, we have no future unless we use what is available.]
If they just sit and wait, the Kingdom may unite. Then there is no choice but to strike a blow and seek a change in the situation. It’s a gamble, but there’s nothing else they can do.
[This is salvation.]
When Ephial stood in front of it, she raised both hands and made an ecstatic expression.
They are cornered, but they can attack the Levios family head-on. Ephial was happy about it anyway.
It is said that the social gathering is scheduled to begin tomorrow in the Royal Capital.
A large number of Nobles will witness this threat. Excitement that seems to vomit, mixed with hatred and joy. It greatly stimulated her brain.
[Show your power and defile the land. Deliver our curse.]
And Ephial called that name.
[Demon Beast Chramitis, Demon Beast Garnarin.]
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