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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Cyno
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As I reached the Hall of Divinity, I saw Eizenberg and his Knights of Radiance waiting with drawn swords. I positioned Ignis in front of me, my blade poised to strike at any moment. Eizenberg’s swordsmanship and physical prowess were on another level compared to ordinary paladins.
A single misstep, and I’d be finished.
Count Maier was no pushover either, but since he couldn’t harm me without consequences, I ignored him.
Eizenberg stormed toward me, radiating fury.
“Shameless coward! Using a woman as a shield—have you no honor?!”
I smirked and shook my head.
“Not at all~. This ‘woman’ is at least a Tier-5 cleric and a future powerhouse. Far from weak. Are those eyes of yours just for decoration?”
“You bastard!”
As Eizenberg lunged, I tightened my grip on Ignis’s throat.
“Careful. One more step, and her head rolls. And I won’t dodge—I’ll kill her and die with her.”
“…You vile creature.”
Eizenberg gritted his teeth and halted. Count Maier hurried over.
“You must not attack.”
“Why not?”
“That is the heir of House Karl.”
Eizenberg’s eyes widened. As a future pillar of the Yosrahim Empire, my actions—holding a princess hostage and desecrating the temple—were incomprehensible.
“What could possibly drive the Karl heir to this?!”
Sigh. “I wish I knew. But you cannot attack.”
“Unacceptable! Even a Karl must pay with his life for defiling the sacred!”
“That’s the problem. If you strike recklessly, both our young lord and Princess Ignis will die.”
“He’s just a child. I can save Her Highness.”
“No. Our young lord is a Master Swordsman.”
Eizenberg scoffed.
“Preposterous! How could a freshly minted adult reach Mastery? Only two such geniuses have ever existed!”
“Yes—His Majesty Emperor Siegfried and His Grace Duke Cloud. And our young lord carries the imperial bloodline.”
It was true. The Yosrahim imperial family had a history of prodigies. Two precedents made a third plausible.
“Are you certain?”
“Absolutely. Multiple paladins here have confirmed it.”
Paladins, though warriors, were still clergy. While not incapable of lies, they considered false testimony a grave sin. Multiple witnesses lent credibility.
“Damn it…”
Eizenberg hesitated. Against a Master, reckless action was impossible—I’d sense even concealed mana.
And even if he could, he wouldn’t dare. As a genius of the imperial bloodline, my death would provoke Duke Cloud’s wrath. That old monster’s patriotism guaranteed retribution.
Eizenberg, for all his skill, feared the duke.
—
The Hall of Divinity stood pristine after millennia, its grandeur undimmed. Inside lay the Seven Relics left by the Seven Saints and The Codex of Creation, Proxia’s first scripture—making this the world’s holiest site.
‘Yojo. I’m here.’
I stood at the Hall’s threshold. Though some paladins resisted, Eizenberg’s signal made them stand down. Losing relics was a risk, but one he accepted—tracking spells would lead them to me.
Except for the Seven and a few others, which never left the Hall unless chosen.
Entering, I faced a long corridor—the Path of Glory leading to the Gold Chamber where the Seven rested. Ignis and I walked it unopposed.
“Huh. No pursuers?”
“Of course. None may enter the Hall unworthy.”
“Right, it costs 100 gold Leafs. Heh.”
Ignis stiffened. A one-time donation of 100 gold granted entry—a fortune to commoners.
“Your heart brims with disdain for the divine.”
“No. Just for you.”
I believed in gods. The Age of Ruin had come as foretold, and I’d been reborn by some power. I just despised those exploiting faith.
Corruption should at least have standards.
This Hall demanded 100 gold just for entry—an impossible sum for most. The powerless were denied even the chance at holiness.
“Exploiting faith is fraud. Keep it up, and divine retribution will come.”
Ignis fell silent. Even she couldn’t deny the Church’s corruption.
The Gold Chamber’s doors opened at my approach, revealing marble statues of the Seven Saints and their relics. As expected, three were fakes—their aura and materials subtly off.
‘Idrun’s with Catrianne, but who took Talathas and Rothim?’
Likely Valkyries. Few knew of the missing relics, and only they could bypass the Hall’s wards.
But it didn’t matter. I had no interest in the Seven.
“That’s yours. Shaya, the Divine Staff of Radiance. Reach for it.”
As Ignis stared at the staff held by the Saint of Light’s statue, radiant light burst forth, and Shaya floated toward her. The relic had chosen its master.
Ignis knelt, overwhelmed.
“O divine one… This unworthy servant accepts Shaya’s grace.”
Her prayer dragged on. Patient at first, I eventually tapped her head with my sword.
“Enough. Even gods get tired of stalkers.”
Ignis glared up, trembling.
“Who are you? How did you know Shaya would choose me?”
“None of your business.”
“Tell me!”
“Just know some damn god finds me annoyingly interesting.”
“Which god?!”
“No idea.”
I didn’t know who reincarnated me. No grand reveal, just sudden rebirth.
“Now that you’re done, I’ve got business too.”
Ignis scrambled after me. To her, I was now a prophet.
“What business?”
“Finding Yojo.”
“Yojo?”
“The world’s strongest sword.”
“Isn’t that Idrun?”
“Pfft. Idrun’s just a fancy torch. Yojo survived the Age of Ruin—that’s strength.”
I ranted about Yojo’s merits. It couldn’t cast holy magic, but it endured till the end. Survival, not raw power, defined greatness.
And Yojo had quirks. Sometimes it would hum, pointing the way to salvation. It had saved me countless times.
Ignis shook her head.
“Impossible. Nothing surpasses Idrun.”
“Think what you want.”
Leaving the Gold Chamber, I entered the Silver Chamber, where Dalahan and a hundred near-Tier-2 relics rested.
I glanced at Dalahan—a zweihänder with one black and one silver-white blade.
In my past life, I’d coveted it, lingering near it for hours. I’d even dyed my hair red like Emperor Siegfried, its first wielder, to tease the imperial family.
Now, I felt nothing.
Owning it would only bring trouble. Dying young like Siegfried would be the best outcome—power erased kinship.
‘Hah.’
“Why are you laughing?”
I shrugged.
“No reason.”
At the white door to the Bronze Chamber, I took a deep breath and stepped inside. Yojo awaited.
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