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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Cyno
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“There’s the intruder!”
A paladin shouted, leading a group of temple guards charging toward me. I dashed into a nearby building, scanning for exits—none. It was a shrine dedicated to some saint, with only one entrance and the rest sealed by white walls and stained glass.
“Damn it.”
I vaulted off the saint’s tombstone into the air just as the pursuing paladin swung his sword, missing me entirely. By then, I’d already shattered the stained glass and escaped outside.
Landing lightly, I scaled the wall and sprinted back toward the entrance plaza.
“Stop him!”
Paladins and guards swarmed from all directions. Dark-armored knights among them meant even the dark faction’s forces had joined the chase.
‘They must’ve had night watch duty. Poor guys.’
“Shouldn’t they be catching up on sleep instead of chasing me?”
Shaking my head, I slipped into the Tower of Grace at the plaza’s center, climbing its spiral staircase to the summit.
The cylindrical tower loomed so high that the temple’s guards below looked like swarming ants. At least I could buy some time trapping pursuers here.
After a brief rest, I disarmed the first paladin to reach the top, seizing another sword.
More pursuers arrived, shouting as they spotted me on the tower’s balcony.
“Stop right there!”
“Like hell.”
I leapt from the tower, driving both swords into the wall to slow my descent.
A paladin peering out a window gasped—he’d seen the aura blades cloaking my weapons.
“The intruder’s a Master Swordsman! Be careful!”
Descending further, I assessed the forces below. High enough to see the whites of their eyes. I kicked off the wall, stomping a paladin’s back before rolling and springboarding over a hedgehog-like formation of spears.
The stunned pursuers gaped as I fled.
“What kind of freak…?”
“Too damn fast.”
Meanwhile, I raced down the central boulevard toward the Hall of Divinity. Though forced to detour repeatedly by patrols, the distance steadily shrank.
Another squad blocked my path. I vaulted a wall into the Archives of Mercy, scaled to the third floor, then leapt onto the adjacent Archives of Sin’s roof.
“Where’d he go?!”
Confusion spread. My erratic movements made me impossible to track. Shaking them off, I neared the Hall.
‘Now what? Eizenberg’s guarding the entrance.’
A high-tier Master Swordsman, Eizenberg was a devout paladin who’d rejected noble courtship to serve the light faith. His skill made him a formidable obstacle—especially with backup nearby. This wouldn’t be easy.
“Halt!”
Guards at the Hall’s approach leveled spears. I slid beneath them, pole-vaulting over their heads using a stolen lance.
Paladins gave chase. I zigzagged, dodging strikes—
BOOM!
A barrage of holy bolts exploded before me. Tier-1 divine magic—spammed endlessly without chanting. That meant a Tier-5+ cleric was attacking.
Backflipping to safety, I spotted the caster: a high elf woman on a rooftop.
“Stop right there!”
Her silver hair shimmered as she shouted. I could’ve escaped, but froze upon seeing her face.
The elf’s tall, slender frame. Snow-white skin and sapphire-blue eyes. Delicate features like a masterpiece—and that fragile neck begging to be protected.
Beautiful. But not why I stared.
She was my first love.
‘Princess Ignis?’
We’d met at Fort Sden.
Back then, I’d fought monsters through the collapsing fortress with feverish desperation—uncharacteristically refusing to flee.
Severely wounded, with most of my 5,000 troops dead, I’d led a suicidal charge when—
A radiant light annihilated the horde.
“You’ve done enough. Thanks to you, Fort Sden stands. We’ll take over now—rest.”
That voice belonged to Ignis, captain of the 2nd Relic Corps and princess of Lumen, the high elf kingdom. My savior and unrequited love.
We never met again, but her memory lingered vividly even after rebirth.
‘Why’s she here? Right—she’s attending this year’s ritual.’
Like my fiancée Princess Sierra, Ignis was a candidate for one of the Seven Relics: Shaya, the Divine Staff of Radiance.
Ignis blocked my path. She’d always been this way—gentle to the weak, unyielding against injustice.
“How dare you desecrate this holy place?!”
Her sharp gaze pinned me.
Surrounded, I couldn’t bring myself to leave her behind.
“P-Princess Ignis…?”
She startled at being recognized.
“You know me?”
“Intimately.”
In a flash, I embraced her slender waist—so fragile in my arms.
She struggled briefly before freezing at my sword’s edge against her throat.
“Nobody move!” I shouted. “Or she dies!”
First love? Sentimental nonsense. For Yojo, I’d sacrifice even her. With the Lumen princess as hostage, none would dare intervene.
“Young lord?!”
Count Maier arrived, halting at the scene.
“Count! Know who this is? Princess Ignis of Lumen! Kill her, and Yosrahim’s alliance with Karl shatters!”
The count stiffened.
As Lumen’s heir, harming Ignis would irreparably divide the light faction.
A pale high elf paladin stepped forward.
“Do not provoke him! If your recklessness kills Her Highness, you’ll pay dearly!”
Convinced, the count waved frantically.
“Young lord, this isn’t funny!”
I pressed the blade slightly. A trickle of blood slid down Ignis’s neck.
“Fall back!”
The crowd retreated.
As we advanced, Ignis whispered shakily:
“You’ll… never be forgiven.”
“Quiet. Cooperate, and I’ll share good news.”
“Lies. Why would I trust a villain?”
“About you becoming a Saintess.”
Her eyes widened.
No mortal had earned that title since Proxia and the Seven Saints ascended. The Seven Relics had never chosen masters—until now.
“Don’t lie! The Seven have never accepted wielders!”
“Three already have.”
This was still secret, but soon common knowledge. By the Age of Ruin, four would emerge—three mysteriously returning beforehand.
“Valkyries can claim them anytime their attributes align.”
Ignis gasped. Few knew this.
“H-How do you know this?!”
“I just do.”
“…!”
“Come quietly. I promise no harm.”
Though skeptical, she followed—the allure of wielding a Relic irresistible to any faithful.
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