Chapter 813 |
The One Who Will Kill You (8)
“Your Holiness, how were today’s memories?”
Gartros, as always, bowed deeply and asked politely.
Even while on the run, ensuring Ernhardt's well-being was more important to him than anything else.
Ernhardt, after a brief silence, suddenly spoke.
“Deneb.”
Gartros tilted his head with a puzzled look and asked again.
“Isn’t that the name of a cosmetic product made by the Duke of Fenris?”
“I finally remembered. The Saintess’s name is Deneb.”
“Yes, the Saintess who sealed the Demonic Abyss long ago.”
“Have you regained all your memories?”
“No. But I clearly remembered her name.”
“O-Oh...”
Gartros wore an expression of deep emotion.
The fact that Ernhardt's memories were returning meant that he was getting closer to the lost legacy of the past.
Then, as if a sudden thought occurred to him, Gartros’s face turned uneasy.
“B-But there is something odd.”
“You’re wondering why the Duke of Fenris used that name for a cosmetic product, aren’t you?”
“...That is correct.”
Gartros looked apologetic.
His question was, in a sense, the same as doubting Ernhardt's words. After all, it could also be seen as Ernhardt having made a mistake.
Ernhardt let out a faint chuckle.
“I don’t know either. It could be a remarkable coincidence... or maybe the Duke of Fenris knows something.”
“...”
“The Duke started making cosmetics quite some time ago. Isn’t it thanks to that product that he became so well-known?”
“That is true.”
“Could he have known something from the very beginning?”
Ernhardt, who had now turned the question on himself, closed his eyes and sank deep into thought.
Of all the names, why did it have to be the Saintess’s?
And it wasn’t just anyone, but the Duke of Fenris who had used it—this couldn’t be taken lightly.
But no matter how much he thought, he couldn’t find a reason.
Of course he couldn’t. That name was originally given by the Duke of Delfine.
After regressing, Ghislain had simply beaten everyone to the punch by creating the cosmetic and naming it first.
But since Ernhardt didn’t know that, he couldn’t help but keep pondering.
Cautiously watching his expression, Gartros spoke.
“Learning the Saintess’s name is a major gain. It will be a great help in finding the King.”
“Hmm... yes.”
According to scripture, the Saintess is said to be waiting for the King in the Demonic Abyss. If such small clues pile up, they might lead to greater discoveries.
Of course, that was merely Gartros’s hope. Ernhardt had little interest in scriptures or prophecies from the beginning.
There was only one thing that truly interested him.
It was merely the return of memories that had already been arranged long ago.
After watching Ernhardt for a moment, Gartros cautiously spoke again.
“Please rest. If you wait just a little longer, I will guide you to a more comfortable place.”
At those words, Ernhardt quietly gazed at Gartros.
Unlike himself, who was still relatively clean, Gartros's appearance was absolutely filthy.
And it wasn’t just Gartros. The other priests and the remaining knights gathered here were in the same state.
It couldn’t be helped. Every one of them, including Ernhardt himself, was now a fugitive.
In such circumstances, maintaining the same cleanliness and elegance as before was a near impossibility.
This was the humiliation they had to endure due to their defeat in the war.
Sensing Ernhardt's gaze, Gartros carefully asked,
“Do you have any commands for me?”
“It’s just... the more I think about it, the more curious I become.”
“May I ask what you mean?”
“The fact that we, who once nearly ruled the entire continent, were defeated by the Duke of Fenris.”
At those words, Gartros made a deliberately pained expression.
“Because of him, our great plan, which we prepared for so many years, was ruined.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
Ernhardt smiled faintly as he thought of Ghislain.
A mere upstart from the fringes, who was once nothing, had eventually seized the kingdom and become the most influential figure on the continent.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a true hero’s tale.
But the more he thought about it, the deeper his doubts became.
“How was that even possible?”
His skills were far too exceptional to be dismissed as mere luck.
But to say it was all due to his skill seemed too convenient, given the strangely perfect coincidences.
One could say he possessed both great luck and great skill but Ernhardt couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something beyond that.
As if an invisible hand had planned and orchestrated everything.
‘Duke of Fenris… you must be hiding a secret that I do not know.’
Ernhardt, who had always been indifferent to everything, found that Ghislain was the one and only person who continued to hold his interest.
‘Just what… are you?’
As Ernhardt arrived at that thought—
— I am the one who will kill you.
Suddenly, a sharp headache struck him, and a single sentence flashed through his mind.
Ernhardt furrowed his brows.
A shadow, vague and just out of reach, still lingering in the haze.
This was a memory from the past he had yet to recover.
But why did it surface while he was thinking of the Duke of Fenris?
Ernhardt slowly closed his eyes.
His heart began to beat strangely fast.
“…No way.”
He whispered as he caught his breath.
“Could it be… that we met in the past?”
* * *
— Hey, what are you doing?
— …
— Didn’t you say we have to leave now? What the hell are you doing?
— …
— Say something, damn itttttt!
— …
Astion screamed his lungs out from within the consciousness.
Ghislain was still present inside his consciousness. Though he could feel that presence, there had been no reaction at all.
Astion, increasingly frustrated, shouted and called out repeatedly, but Ghislain didn’t answer.
— Hey, are you dead or what? Huh?
— …
— Dark! Dark!
— Why are you calling me?
Dark answered languidly. He, too, remained within Astion’s consciousness.
Astion asked in an irritated tone.
— What the hell? What’s Ghislain doing right now?
— I… don’t know…
— You’re acting shady. Your tone is suspicious.
— I really… don’t know anything?
— Then why isn’t he waking up?!
Astion had used up all his mana, and the inside of his body was a complete mess. Naturally, both he and Ghislain had no choice but to lose consciousness.
But Ghislain had said he could no longer control the body. In that case, Astion should have naturally taken over and awakened.
Yet he was still stuck inside the consciousness. There was no way to interpret this other than Ghislain pulling something sneaky.
— What the hell are you doinggggggggggg!
As Astion was throwing a full-blown tantrum, Ghislain’s consciousness suddenly and swiftly seized control of Astion’s body.
Ghislain opened his eyes with a satisfied smile.
“Whew, took it back again.”
He slowly rose to his feet.
With the balance completely broken, reclaiming Astion’s body had not been easy. The body was rejecting Ghislain’s soul.
However, Astion had also passed out after exhausting all his mana. Ghislain, whose consciousness was overwhelmingly larger, took advantage of that gap and seized control once more.
— You said you were leaving… Did you lie to me? Is that why you kept quiet?
Astion asked in a resentful voice.
Ghislain shook his head a few times before replying.
“There are still a few things left to do. Before I go, I want to keep an eye on the mercenaries a bit longer.”
— You can’t even fight properly anymore anyway.
“Hmph, the wisdom of life doesn’t fade so easily.”
Just as Astion had said, Ghislain could no longer wield power as he once did. He could no longer properly use mana.
But leaving things as they were didn’t sit right with him. He felt he wouldn’t be at peace until he personally witnessed the United Human Army be firmly rebuilt around Deneb and Julien.
Besides, there were still things left to teach. He planned to postpone his farewell just a bit longer.
Clunk.
“Ghislain!”
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Are you finally awake?”
Upon hearing the news that Ghislain had awakened, all their comrades came to visit—everyone except Deneb.
Thanks to Divine Power, none of them had suffered serious injuries, and they were able to get back on their feet in no time.
Only Ghislain had remained unconscious for several days.
But it wasn’t just comrades who came to see him. Ilaniel, Grondal, the Cardinals, and even high-ranking officials of the Holy Empire all arrived one after another.
They all showered praise on Ghislain’s strength and determination. If not for him, even the Saintess would not have been able to perform her miracle.
“Come on, step outside. There’s something I want to show you.”
Julien smiled as he helped Ghislain up.
Together with the others, Ghislain slowly walked outside.
And the moment he crossed the threshold of the Grand Temple—
“Waaaaaaah!”
An overwhelming cheer erupted.
Countless people had gathered, cheering as they looked upon Ghislain. Even the Imperial knights and soldiers stood respectfully in salute.
“It’s Astion! It’s Astion!”
“The one who led the Saintess’s miracle!”
“Archmage Astion!”
Seeing the crowd’s reaction, Ghislain looked puzzled.
If it were Deneb, he might understand but he had no idea why he was receiving such praise.
Then Porisco, standing beside him, cleared his throat and spoke.
“Ahem. The Saintess spoke very highly of your contribution. She said it was thanks to you that she was able to perform the miracle.”
“Ah, I see.”
Right after the Adversary had retreated, he and Astion had collapsed. He didn’t know much about what had happened afterward.
But judging by Porisco’s words and the crowd’s reaction, it seemed Deneb had truly been recognized as the Saintess.
And so had Julien’s mercenary corps.
“Woooo! It’s the Julien Mercenary Corps!”
“Sword and shield of the Saintess!”
“Over here! Please look this way!”
The crowd threw flowers and cheered for the Julien Mercenary Corps as well.
They had already received a grand welcome in the capital, but with Ghislain now awake, they were being celebrated all over again.
And among them, there was one who was more thrilled than anyone else.
— M-My fame has risen! People like me now!
Astion shouted excitedly.
— Yes! I’m not a pervert!
— People are finally recognizing the truth!
— I can finally start dating now!
Toward the end, he began to weep. Clearly, he had been holding a lot in for a long time.
Unlike the overjoyed Astion, Ghislain, who knew the truth about the successors of the Tower of Radiance, wore a flat expression. He simply wished for Astion’s romantic success in his heart.
While Astion rejoiced, Porisco, on the other hand, looked somewhat displeased as he said,
“Your fame will now spread far and wide across the continent. As those who serve the Saintess, you must always act with integrity and never tarnish the name of the Order…”
“…”
Just like before, Ghislain couldn’t help but think—this man really was as uptight as ever.
Ghislain listened to his words half-heartedly and casually asked,
“By the way, where’s Deneb?”
“Watch your words from now on. You must not carelessly say the name of the Saintess…”
“Yes, yes, understood. Where is the Saintess?”
“…You impudent rascal. The Saintess is currently preparing for the Anointing Ceremony.”
“What’s that?”
“…It’s the ceremony to formally acknowledge her as the Saintess. All the Cardinals and High Priests will recognize her as the Emissary of the Goddess. From now on, she will be the spiritual leader of us all…”
“Yeah, yeah, I got it. So does that mean Deneb becomes the Pope now?”
“…Not quite. Though the papal seat can’t be left vacant, someone else will be appointed.”
“Why? Deneb was acknowledged as the Saintess, wasn’t she?”
“From now on, the Saintess is the embodiment of divinity, the bearer of miracles, and the focal point of our faith. But we still need someone to manage the institutional, administrative, and political affairs of the Order. The Saintess can’t do all that.”
“Hm…”
Seeing Ghislain’s dissatisfied expression, Porisco shook his head and said,
“The Saintess must take the lead in the war against the Demonic Abyss. Which means someone has to manage the Order’s affairs from behind the scenes.”
Ghislain understood what he meant. Hadn’t he entrusted all administrative tasks to Claude as well?
Realistically speaking, Deneb, who would be fighting on the front lines against the Demonic Abyss, couldn’t possibly be pushing papers in the back.
There was also a need to follow the Holy Empire’s traditions to some extent. In the end, Ghislain nodded.
“Alright. So who’s going to be the Pope?”
“We’re planning to elect one now. We should’ve done it earlier, but we had to prepare for the Anointing Ceremony first. I’m not sure how long the election will take.”
“Why would it take long?”
“What do you mean why? All the Cardinals and Archbishops will be confined inside the Grand Temple until a Pope is chosen.”
“Why?”
“…To prevent external interference. Once the Pope is chosen, they’ll be allowed to leave.”
At that, Ghislain showed a mildly surprised expression.
“Do they fight to the death in there until only one is left standing?”
“…It’s a vote.”
“Oh, it’s a vote. I see.”
Porisco shook his head in disbelief as he watched Ghislain grin so shamelessly.
To think someone could be this clueless about the famous papal election.
And this guy was supposed to be among those serving the Saintess—Porisco couldn’t help but worry.
But Ghislain didn’t care about that stuff. After all, there hadn’t even been a Pope in his time.
Having received plenty of cheers and endured enough of Porisco’s nagging, Ghislain returned to his quarters.
His body was now in worse shape than the average person. While his wounds had healed, the broken balance of his body left him in constant fatigue.
Using mana wasn’t even an option. To others, he likely looked no different than a pale, sickly patient.
Those around him also believed he hadn’t recovered yet. Perhaps that was why they gave him space so he could rest.
Sitting on his bed, Ghislain took out a pen and paper and began organizing the tasks he needed to complete.
“I’ll hold out as long as I can…”
He had to make sure important matters were passed on to his comrades before he left.
As he wrote diligently, someone came to see him.
Shiny black hair, skin so pale it was nearly white, and strikingly beautiful features that drew the eye.
It was someone he had never seen before—but Ghislain immediately realized who he was.
The man introduced himself with an arrogant expression.
“I am he who rules the Curtain of Night, watcher of the unseen world, the one who cleaves the sky with black wings and sees through chaos. I am the Black Dragon, Derk Nine.”
Ghislain’s eyes lit up.
He had plenty of questions for a dragon, after all.