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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Ruby
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Swish
Yuma pulled back the tent flap and entered inside.
“….”
Then he sat down in the chair in front of him.
The reason he sat quietly without making a sound was because Hestia had fallen asleep while lying face-down on the desk.
A little drool was flowing out from her slightly parted lips.
Numerous documents were placed on top of the desk.
What a pitiful scene of overtime work.
Yuma thought this as he picked up one of the documents.
He gazed intently at the text written at the very top of the paper.
A single sentence was clearly written there.
-Methods to maximize faith to its peak
Yuma couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine.
Fortunately, that chilling feeling didn’t last long.
-Those who witness Yuma using his power as a god awaken their faith faster than anyone else.
-People who have seen Ermel’s radiance also quickly awaken their faith in Yuma.
-Having believers recite prayers every morning helps boost their faith and increase divine power.
This was because the contents listed were more normal than he had expected.
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Yuma relaxed his brow and put the paper back down.
Then he looked at Hestia, who was still lying face-down on the desk, lost in sleep.
If she’s going to sleep, she should lie down properly.
Her crimson cat ears were in a very peculiar state.
Normally when she fell asleep, her ears would droop down as if bowing her head, but this time they were standing upright.
Yuma moved his hand without realizing it.
His right hand was already stroking Hestia’s crimson ears.
He touched them very carefully, as if petting them, then unconsciously tugged on them slightly.
“Hik─!”
Hestia perked up her crimson cat ears and let out a soft cry.
Whoosh!
Startled, she had no choice but to lift her head up abruptly.
“Uh…eh?”
Hestia looked at the War God who had suddenly appeared and blinked her round green eyes.
“Sleep lying down. Lying down.”
After blinking her eyes a few more times, Hestia met Yuma’s blue eyes and smiled bashfully.
“Got it…Yuma-yuma.”
Hestia, having come to her senses, raised her body.
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“Heuuaaah.”
Hestia stretched out fully and spoke quietly.
“But can you feel that the number of believers has increased a bit? I started yesterday morning and haven’t stopped talking, preaching about why we must revere the War God.”
Yuma nodded.
He had actually checked the [Believer List] before entering this high priestess’s tent, and three whole new lines had been added below the countless names.
“Well done.”
Yuma’s gaze turned toward Hestia’s sword leaning against the tent wall.
Hestia was still using the famous sword [Kiseteria of the Full Moon] that Yuma had given her after taking it from the sword god Chronos’s spatial pocket not long after they first met.
When Yuma touched Kiseteria’s handle, a very lively voice flowed through his mind.
– “You used the sword. Just a few hours ago, too. No matter how famous a sword it is, traces are visible to my eyes.”
It was the voice of Egosword Balmung.
Yuma looked at Hestia.
“Did you spar a little while ago?”
At Yuma’s words, Hestia’s eyes grew round once again.
“As expected, War God, War God…Kiseteria doesn’t even leave traces on the blade easily. You noticed at a glance.”
Hestia continued speaking.
“Yeah, the new talent you recruited. I sparred with Agail and Ragnarok together.”
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She raised the corners of her mouth in a grin.
“Getting overwhelmingly defeated by Bell every day! Whack! After experiencing that, I started to see through their sword techniques clearly. I might be able to become a master soon.”
Yuma smiled back at her.
“Yes, you’ll become one soon.”
Maybe not that soon, but it won’t take very long.
“Of course, of course. I’m Hestia. My side job is definitely being the War God’s high priestess, but…my main job is being a swordsman!”
Hestia spoke spiritedly.
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Yeigel Continent.
The front lines of the Jeparos Kingdom.
Thud─
The beastkin Samer, with his massive build, raised his enormous body.
Using his great axe, which was even larger than his own huge frame, as a walking stick.
Samer’s gaze turned toward the knights of the Jeparos Kingdom standing at the front.
Samer muttered quietly.
“For what reason have you suddenly come leading an army like this?”
At Samer’s words, Arwin, the captain of the Jeparos Kingdom’s 2nd Knight Order, drew his sword and took a step forward.
“We from the Jeparos Kingdom side have something to ask you beastkin, which is why we’ve come to visit you in such deep night.”
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His tone and manner contained sufficient caution.
However, the very act of coming at such a late hour with all knights armed with spears and swords made such shallow formalities meaningless.
Step step
Kregel, the chieftain of the Eger tribe, approached the uninvited guests who had suddenly barged in.
“Stop talking nonsense and tell us straight why you’ve suddenly invaded this place.”
A fierce aura began flowing from Kregel’s body.
It was such a powerful aura that even Knight Captain Arwin, who had reached the realm of Master, felt fear for a moment.
“If you don’t speak straight, I’ll take it as a declaration of war.”
At Kregel’s words, Arwin’s brow furrowed deeply.
They came to intimidate, not to be intimidated.
All the knights beside him had become intimidated.
‘I didn’t expect them to mention war with just that number of people…they certainly seem to have the strength for it.’
Nevertheless, Arwin didn’t think their forces would lose.
This was because if they mobilized all their troops, there would be an insurmountable numerical difference that the beastkin side couldn’t overcome.
‘I should try talking first.’
Arwin decided to have a conversation with Kregel.
Although his lord, King Marcus of Jeparos, wanted to kill the beastkin like a witch hunt, defining them as the cause of the gods’ invasion of the continent, Arwin knew well that this kind of conflict would never bring good results.
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“Our king, Marcus, believes that you beastkin are the reason why transcendent gods suddenly began invading this land.”
Arwin received a document from a subordinate standing to his left.
“The kingdom has investigated numerous materials. As a result, we confirmed that a thousand years ago, there was a place called the Purma Kingdom on the Gehergen Continent, and they were destroyed after earning the gods’ hatred.”
Arwin continued speaking.
“We want to question you, Kregel, and the other beastkin about this. Whether the current crisis has befallen the continent because you are survivors from the Purma Kingdom side.”
His tone was quite polite, but the underlying message was not.
It was saying that the gods invaded the Yeigel Continent because of you people, and even the Jeparos Kingdom got involved and suffered damage like this.
Kregel slowly opened his mouth.
“Our tribe, the Eger tribe, is indeed a tribe that carries on the bloodline of the Purma Kingdom.”
Kregel’s words continued.
“And I’m not even a descendant. I can literally be called a direct party to it. It was something that happened when I was young.”
The coldness that had been pressing down on the space grew thicker.
From the knights’ perspective listening to Kregel’s words, they could only feel growing dismay.
Because Kregel’s words sounded no different from a confession.
“However, I can stake everything on saying that the current gods—no, those bastards—invading this Yeigel Continent is not because of our tribe. Those sons of bitches didn’t invade targeting us beastkin, but simply came down to invade the continent. Everyone equally became sacrifices.”
Kregel gestured with his chin toward the barrier his tribe was maintaining.
“The barrier our tribe is personally maintaining right now doesn’t mean we’re trying to survive alone, but that we’re using our strength so this Yeigel Continent can survive.”
The blonde knight Arwin furrowed his brow deeply.
“Are you telling us to believe that now?”
Kregel nodded.
“Believe it, and since we don’t want any unnecessary conflict, withdraw your forces.”
Craaaaaash!
Even at this moment, there were attacks striking down at the barrier.
Waves of crimson flames spread widely before the colorless barrier.
The barrier should have perfectly blocked the fired pillar of flame.
However, that attack contained a variable.
Whoooosh!
A variable greater than what Kregel and the other beastkin had anticipated.
A tremendous voice echoed out.
“As expected, you can’t block all attack patterns.”
It was a chilling voice.
It was spoken by the owner of the flames who had broken through the barrier and invaded Jeparos territory.
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“You did well attacking with very consistent patterns for several days.”
Flaaaaaare!
[Burning Destruction], Agnethe condensed the flames like a massive sun and walked further inside.
Omerta, whose body and even face were in the form of a burning fireball, slowly surveyed the humans and beastkin.
“…….”
Kregel looked at the broken barrier formation line with a hardened face.
He could see one beastkin who had been standing at the far left, pouring magical power toward the barrier formation, collapsed on the ground.
As Agnethe had said, surprised by the suddenly intensified attack, he couldn’t withstand that threshold and was forced to withdraw from the barrier formation.
Since the beastkin mage maintaining the formation had fallen into a powerless state, the barrier’s dissolution was a natural sequence.
It was powerful enough to block divine power, but the establishment conditions that had to be maintained accordingly were absolutely necessary.
Among them, the composition of five hundred people occupied a large part.
The beastkin and kingdom knights felt their entire bodies stiffen like stone.
An overwhelming strong being had appeared among the weak.
A predator.
No matter how powerful the beastkin were compared to humans, they were inevitably weak compared to gods.
Not only the humans, but even the beastkin all stood motionless as if frozen.
[Burning Destruction] Agnethe and [God of the Precarious Mace] Morg walked toward the inside where the barrier had been erected.
Red flames extended from Omerta’s hand.
Whoosh─
The flames burst forward, emitting a red flash.
Kregel, chieftain of the Eger tribe, raised his staff high.
Dozens of layers of colorless transparent barriers simultaneously appeared in front of Kregel.
Morg, the god with the appearance of a yeti with white fur, muttered quietly.
“Your flames have become much weaker…Agnethe.”
Agnethe let out a scream filled with frustration.
“Shut up, Mooooorg!”
He was filled with rage at Morg’s sarcasm.
Morg let those words flow past him and struck the ground forcefully.
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