Chapter 116: Judgement and Assassin
When the Aurora Knight equipped in a white helmet and plate charged out from the sparring field, a large portion of the nobles looked at him as though they were looking at a fool. In their eyes, this Knight Princess who hadn’t listened to the warnings of others was already a dead person.
There were only a few people who vaguely felt that the Knight wasn’t the type who would die young. The next time they meet, many things would probably change.
As the retreat progressed in an orderly manner, Hermit secretly pulled to one side a White Wolf Guard officer that was in charge of facilitating the retreat.
“…If that female Knight were to bypass the encirclement, find an opportunity to kill her. I will take responsibility for it.”
As the trusted advisor of the Auland Emperor Darsos, one of the masterminds in the shadows, Hermit’s determination is resolute on this matter.
Despite being in a desperate situation, the female Knight charged out with a smile. This made him recall the legendary Will of the Mist and its previous glory. She was obviously the princess of a small country, which put her in a disadvantageous situation, yet she had gained the upper hand through a series of clashes. He began to suspect that the other party might have the wit and strength to break out of this hopeless situation.
Moreover, the reappearance of the Aurora Knight could be a sign that the various powerful troops of the Mist Country are gradually awakening. It feels as though there is a possibility that the glorious history of the Mist will leap out from the past and appear in the present.
If the Mist Country were to rise up once again and the seven countries of the Northern Lands unite as one, perhaps that sovereign of the Northern Lands would be able to conquer the north once more. Not to mention, his own Emperor is infatuated with her. Ten years of ceasefire made that target an even more crucial one. In Hermit’s mind, this kind of unique existence is unneeded from the very start.
Perhaps, he might be doing something excessive, or maybe he is being despicable. Maybe, the Emperor would be enraged and punish him severely, or perhaps the leakage of such news would result in a chain reaction. However, as the subordinate of the Auland Empire’s Emperor, he feels that the descendant of the Mist would prove to be a threat in the future. He has to make full use of this opportunity to get rid of this variable. Even if he would be punished as a result, it would be worth it. This is his undying loyalty towards his lord and his country.
“No matter what, I find that woman is simply too dangerous. I am unable to find the slightest bit of goodwill towards her. Killing the beloved woman of the Emperor on my own whim would probably cause him to turn against me. When the scandal that I killed the princess of another country during a disaster spreads, I might have to carry the blame of scheming against our allies right before the Sacred War. Perhaps, I will be thought of as a fool who can only scheme internally against my own comrades by the people and would be dealt with harshly. However, as long as this is beneficial for the country and Darsos, even if other people are unable to comprehend my actions, what does it count as for me to be sent to the gallows?”
From a certain viewpoint, this Intelligence Head whose eyes are always squinting and carries a scheming smile may look like a playboy, but his loyalty to the Auland Empire and the Emperor has already reached the level where he is willing to die to protect them.
Just because he feels that the person would be a threat to the Auland Empire’s ambitions, he decided to get rid of her. This is a very simple and logical thought process. Or perhaps, it might be the conclusion he came up with after analyzing countless intelligence, or maybe it is just intuition. However, when the Intelligence Head Hermit makes up his mind, he would make an immediate move.
“The rest of you will go as well. If the White Wolf Guards aren’t in a good position to strike, you all will complete the task in their stead. If you all do not spot the target leaving the city, help the guards to hold the final defence line. If you all don’t accomplish this mission, do not return.”
Seemingly muttering a few words to himself, a few shadows disappear into the distant. The spies have begun to share intelligence on the target, preparing for their dishonorable assassination.
Then, when he turned around to get on top of the human-powered carriage to leave, he found Darsos already waiting on it.
By his side, in the hands of a Mage, a display was playing the video recorded by a Mage Eye. As he glances at it, fright paralyzes him and cold sweat drenches his back.
The video that is playing shows the words he spoke just a short moment ago, “…find an opportunity to kill her!”
At this moment, Darsos slumps like a wooden puppet with a stoic face. However, Hermit is aware that this is the expression he displays when he is incensed. He lowers his his head, prepared to face the wrath of his liege, but he only hears a question with suppressed powerful emotions beneath the voice
“‘Blood Mage Emperor’ Marsolit should have been mobilized already. Help me convey a mission to him in my stead. Ask him to head to my underground chamber through my bedroom to retrieve that old fool who should be on the verge of drowning.”
After saying those words, he throws over a Blood Dragon Head Insignia to him. This was the only token of authority that the bloodthirsty SemiGod obeys.
What is this situation? He didn’t intend to punish me? Hesitation appeared on Hermit’s face.
“This mission has to be completed in utmost secrecy. Thus, if you were to meet anyone on the road, silence them. Right, emphasise to Marsolit that if the old fool seems like he is scheming something, silence him before he can do anything.”
In that instant, Hermit understands. The current situation is chaotic, and only supreme experts are able to move casually in the battlefield. Marsolit, who had participated in the rebellion, is capable of flitting around like an apparition. Even if he were to bring someone along, it is impossible for him to be noticed. This isn’t a mission to save the old Emperor. Rather, he is giving him a chance to kill the princess through the hands of another.
“Hermit, do you still remember what our dreams were? I want to make Auland stand at the peak of the world. Compared to this, what does a woman count as?”
He continues to talk about official matters, not mentioning the least about the assassination on the princess. However, those words that he squeezes out from the gaps of his teeth proves his determination.
The one who signed the contract is Darsos himself. Under the intentional or unintentional ‘neglect’ of both parties, they only limited the prevention of ‘acts of hostility’ to countries. They ‘forgot’ about the safety of themselves as individuals. If a subordinate of theirs were to act on their own whim… If the SemiGod were to accidentally kill someone while in the midst of carrying out his mission… It is impossible for the contract to intervene with such a curved ball.
Thus, in the eyes of the contract and Darsos himself, he isn’t the one making the call. It is all the doing of his subordinate.
“Since she is destined not to be mine, then the only thing she could be is my enemy. If I cannot attain her, then nobody else can.”
Hermit is unable to hear the voice in the depths of the Emperor’s heart, but the trust Darsos holds towards him, his willingness to sacrifice his everything for the ‘greater justice’ makes the usually dispassionate Hermit to feel moved. That is the reason why he respects and serves him loyally.
“Yes, your majesty! I will not let you down.”
———
【Ding. You have killed a Sea Giant beyond your power rank. 198 Fate Points is awarded. You have received the item Sea Giant’s Soul and Sea Giant’s Smelly Socks. Sea Giant’s Soul: Upon usage, the soul will possess your body. Strength +5, Agility -2. The user will gain the ability to breath underwater and control giant waves. As for the Sea Giant’s Smelly Socks… You can try using it as a raincoat, it is definitely waterproof. It can even boost a few of your stats, as long as you don’t have a nose or your nose is retarded, so that you won’t die from the stench.】
【Ding. Congratulations for creating a Saint Magic Secret Sword: Polar Blade Storm. Your physical body has broken through its limits, Strength +1, Agility +1.】
【General Legend Secret Sword, Blade Storm: Using this skill, you will turn into a fast rotating storm of blades. The rotating swords and sword qi will severely damage all enemy land troops in the surroundings. Prerequisites: 20 Strength, 10 Agility, 15 Stamina】
【Saint Magic Secret Sword, Polar Blade Storm: This skill is an upgrade of Blade Storm. Only a Sword Saint who has fully mastered Blade Storm can try to execute this skill. Using this skill, you will turn into a fast-rotating ice vortex of blades. The rotating swords and sword qi is only the first barrage of attacks. What would terminate your enemies are the lethal cold air and the ice arrows. This technique is extremely powerful and has a large AOE. Prerequisites: 22 Strength, 15 Agility, 20 Stamina. The complete version of Polar Blade Storm can only be executed with the assistance of Frigid Nightmare Irene.】
The System Notice sounds out numerous times, bringing me great delight. I am more interested in the Race Talent that I had unlocked upon reaching twenty for my Agility. However, I didn’t have the time to be admiring it. The strong sense of giddiness and tiredness made it difficult for me to straighten my body.
Although the upgraded Blade Storm holds significantly greater destructive power, the requirements to execute it also increase significantly. I have barely reached the basic prerequisites for it, though there is one hidden prerequisite that I am unable to ignore no matter what —— power rank.
Secret Swords aren’t better just because they are stronger, the most important factor is still suitability. As a Bronze-rank, despite my high stats and strong physical body, it is already pushing it for me to execute the Legend Secret Sword. If I were to execute Polar Blade Storm which is a rank higher than Blade Storm, it is as good as suicide in my current state.
Through the quantification of the System, the basic information of the sword skill is apparent. A strength-type Secret Sword requires the Strength stat to boost its destructive prowess while Agility is used to maintain the attack speed, accuracy and balance of the attack. Stamina mainly deals with the rebound one incurs from the skill, so that they won’t die from executing it. As for Intelligence, that is the requirement on the magic aspect.
Every time my level or power rank increases, it increases in the ‘quantity’ my basic stats. The current me, even though I barely meet the basic requirements in terms of ‘quality’, from the ‘quantity’ side, I am still lacking severely.
Thus, both of my hands ended up getting cut by the sword qi. Even with Irene serving as an external magic power vault, my minute amount of magic power is sapped in an instant. I feel a splitting headache from the lack of stamina as well as an urge to puke. The main reasons why I didn’t die are because of Irene dealing with the rebound on the magic side in my stead and my high level of expertise in swordsmanship. Even after sacrificing so much, the Polar Blade Storm still wasn’t at its complete might.
Under the limitations of my physical body, the strength of the Blade Storm and its duration is barely a third of the original. Its evolved version, the Saint Magic Secret Sword, probably doesn’t hold a tenth of the might of the complete version.
Otherwise, struck by a Saint Secret Sword in close proximity, the result would just not end up with one killed and one wounded even with the unexpected augmentation by the river water. The Sea Giant with the strength of a human Gold-rank would definitely be killed in an instant.
“For the Magic Secret Sword to be truly feasible in battle, I cannot slacken on my swordsmanship and my magic. From the looks of my current situation, I can only wait for my power rank to advance for my swordsmanship to improve. What is troubling is my Ice Magic… When I return, I will immediately activate Harloys’s patches!”
However, what is most important now is not the future or the potential strength of the complete Polar Blade Storm. If I am unable to get by this situation, there probably would not be any future for me.
Under Krose’s assistance… Alright, it is an assistance at proximity, let us ignore the mysterious furious glares in the distant.
“Krose, can you allow me to walk on my own?”
“That won’t do, Lord. Don’t push yourself.”
I am not pushing myself! Your clothes are already wet, please consider your current identity as a female! You coming to me at such proximity is what that is called pushing yourself!
Despite being an Elf, to possess such an explosive figure, is this scientific? Some unscientific parts of yours are in contact with me, not to mention how your clothes are clinging to them, you are tempting me to commit a crime, do you understand that? The smell of the natural herbs in your hair causes my will to waver even more, do you believe it? Not far away, Diyer and Muse are already crying from envy, have you noticed it yet? Most importantly, upon recalling that your soul is a male, I really feel like finding a pillar to knock against it, can you comprehend that?
Alright, before the resentments became corporeal, we arrived at the Church of Law.
The Church is emitting a faint silvery light. That seemingly gentle glow blocks away the river water carrying God Power that floods every inch of the city.
Krose informs me that the Sea Giants aren’t there to intercept me. Rather, they are obeying orders to stop all living beings who intend to enter the Church to seek asylum. Before I came here, they had already crossed blows with Krose multiple times.
There are many small groups like this among the Seafolk. Their goal is to prevent important figures from hiding in the Church to catch their breath. Actually, the Seafolk do not intend to attack the Church forcibly, and there isn’t a need for them to as well.
A Church is a territory of God and the territory of God is immune to all invasions. This is the authority of a true God. However, following the fall of the city and the death of the God’s worshipers, the Kagersi Branch Church would soon find itself lacking sufficient worshipers to be considered as a Church. If so, they don’t even have to strike with their own hands. As soon as that happens, they just have to drown the Church with the river water. The idol would also serve as an excellent tribute to the Malevolent Gods of Chaos.
Even though the numerous Seafolk who invaded the Church on their own whim are hung on formless gallows, the interior of the Church is still a mess. However, what reassured me is the numerous carts placed in the main hall.
Those aren’t God Equipment or monetary wealth. They are the most important things we require right now —— rations, medicines and other necessary supplies.
It is impossible for us to bring a lot of rations to a fight. The rations left in the underwater base are those we brought along in our personal inventory. Those are insufficient to sustain the engineers and the rest. Thus, after returning to the surface, I had Krose gather food rations secretly.
If contracts are perfect and laws can stop every single crime, this world would have long become a land of peace. On a territory where many are hostile to us, how could we sleep in peace? From the very beginning, I had already made preparations for our retreat.
As long as we are able to bring those neatly packed carts of rations to the underwater base, it would give us the option of attacking and defending. It would be a strategic victory.
“Are you all ready?”
“Yes, my Lord. We can set forth at any time. If it wasn’t for you insisting for me to change my clothes, we could have set off ten minutes earlier! Hmph, Lord is such a conservative man.”
Alright, ignoring the cute complaints which induce an urge to bash my head on the wall, if I didn’t force you to change out of those dripping wet clothes, even if those Gentlemen with unique tastes won’t do anything to you, it is hard to say the same about the resentful Reyne and the others.
“Reyne, her figure is just slightly better than yours. Do you have to look at her so enviously? You should be worried about your back. Look, Kelly is already jotting something on her little notebook. A new remedial lesson is in the midst of being born.”
Anyway, it isn’t the time to be thinking about such things. Looking at the elites of the Seafolk gathering outside once again, I made up my mind.
“Then, let’s begin the Great Judgement.”
Krose holds up the SemiGod Equipment Codex in her hands and declares loudly.
“I, the Archbishop of the Church of Law Auland Branch Krose.Ainta (Her full name which has been forgotten by everyone else) declares that there are sinners running rampant, a genocide is taking place and a war of injustice is occurring before me. I swear upon the name of my God, Wumianzhe, that I will judge all sins in this city!”
【Scattered Page of Codex (A clone of the God Equipment, has been strengthened significantly after the Ascension of the God of Law)
Faith in Law: 169/2000 (The belief from 1000 people in a week allows it to increase by 1 point every week, and the cap is 50 points every month. When the points reach 1000, 1000 points can be expended to replicate a Scattered Page)
Effect 1,3: Negligible
Effect 2: Great Judgement (Active): Requires 100 Faith in Law to activate, and consumes 1 point every minute after activation. After its activation, everyone in the city will be cast with a Legend-rank level Judgement Spell and they will be judged based on their actions in the last 3 hours. If guilty, their freedom will be restricted and debuffs such as intangible cuffs and weapon seal will be inflicted on them. Under the effects of Great Judgement, the effectiveness of Incantation of Law will be multiplied several folds and the power rank of Law Enforcers will be increased by 1. (The requirements for usage: The laws in the city are in chaos, criminals are doing as they please and the city is on the verge of destruction)】
Following her declaration, the silver light of Order turns into a pillar of light and expands. Countless shouts of astonishment overwhelm the city. Apparently, the Seafolk are distressed by this spell which they had never seen before.
“…Although we are unable to save most of them, if we restrain the enemies like this, perhaps more civilians would be able to escape. There is a limit to the duration of Great Judgement. Let’s set off now. We have to reach the underwater base before its effects run out!”
At this moment, two Frigid Nightmares have already turned into heavyweight Ice Boars suited for charges. The escape team assumes a formation of an arrow with Reyne and I standing at the very forefront.
With my power rank raised by the effects of Great Judgement, I regained a little bit of my stamina and mana. Smacking my mount, I rush forward to break through the encirclement.
“There are still 68 Faith points, so we should have 68 minutes. Normally, the journey would take around 40 minutes. I’m not sure whether we have enough time… Forget it, rather than dwelling on it, let’s leave it to fate instead.”
It is impossible for me to fathom that many obstacles would stand in our way. Other than the Auland SemiGod Mage who is in the midst of carrying out his secret mission in the rain, at our destination, the battle between the SemiGod Hydra and the Heroic Spirit is getting more and more heated and savage. The sky has been torn asunder and the river is parted into two, water flowing back in before it is parted yet again. The Seafolk caught in the battle disintegrate instantaneously, leaving no corpses behind.
On the path the ration carts have to pass through to reach the underwater base, the nine-headed giant blocks the path!
“Hurry up! We would be safe once we get to the base!” Breaking through the encirclement around the Church, we didn’t expect that the giant creature would be standing in our path.
“Somehow, I feel that things won’t go that smoothly.”
“Touchwood, darned cat. Shut up. Otherwise, I will learn from those witches and turn you into a crow so that you can only caw all day long. Hmmm? It sounds like a good idea. Triple transformation pet Elf! That will be you, Harloys!”