Thud, thud.
In a dimly lit study, a figure was pacing around in a flurry. Archdeacon Garoth, with a deeply furrowed brow, opened his mouth with an irritated voice, continually glancing out the window.
“Why haven’t the Black Guards made any contact!”
His words, like a challenge, made the attending guards nearby flinch.
“It doesn’t feel right, Archdeacon.”
One of the guards, despite his fear, spoke up.
“What do you mean it doesn’t feel right?”
“The Black Guards follow not only you, Archdeacon, but also the orders of other Archdeacons. The ‘Seven Voices Order’ is an institution made as such. If, by any chance, they suspect us of treachery and disclose to other Archdeacons that we have stolen relics from the Sacred Treasury…”
The sight of the trembling guard, filled with fear, was almost pitiful. His words held merit.
However, Garoth couldn’t admit it. Smuggling relics from the Sacred Treasury was a grave offense. While it couldn’t be confirmed as a crime worthy of stripping an Archdeacon of his position, it was enough to shake his authority.
“Wouldn’t it be prudent to temporarily leave the castle to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances?”
It was a reasonable suggestion.
If one were to quietly disappear until the turmoil subsided, it might present an opportunity.
“Are you telling me to run away?”
But Garoth couldn’t accept it. So much effort and investment had gone into reaching his current position. Leaving the castle felt like abandoning all that he had worked for.
“What happened to Idel?”
“There’s been no contact with Idel either.”
“Damn it!”
Uncharacteristically, Garoth bit back a curse. His expectations weren’t high, but with the situation taking a turn for the worse, his own position suddenly felt much weightier.
“Julian…!”
If Idel was indeed dead, there was only one possibility: Julian Crypart Frason, the guard of Prince Ulysses from the Adratian Empire, who had come.
“Enough. Since it’s come to this, I’ll personally…”
“Oh, where are you planning to go, Archdeacon Garoth?”
As Garoth was about to stride towards the ceremony hall, the door to his study swung open, and a woman with her face hidden behind a fan entered.
“Archdeacon Shalana.”
In a low voice, Garoth uttered her name.
“Hoho, don’t be too serious. It’s already awkward enough with your stern face and age showing, isn’t it?”
“Thanks for your concern.”
“Well, we’re both Archdeacons, aren’t we?”
Covering her face with the fan, she smiled with her eyes.
Garoth knew she didn’t mean ‘both’ Archdeacons, but he played along.
“So, what brings you here?”
“Hoho, don’t you already know?”
“Well, I’m not quite sure what you’re referring to.”
Garoth could feel a cold sweat running down his back.
“Didn’t you secretly smuggle a relic from the Sacred Treasury? And not just any relic, but a high-level one.”
“This way of accusing me is quite inconvenient, Shalana.”
“Hoho, accusations? Rather, I find your words uncomfortable. If there were no evidence or witnesses, would I have come here like this?”
Thud!
As she snapped her fingers, a familiar face entered.
“You…”
Among the three Black Guards he had called, she was the one entrusted with monitoring the other Archdeacons.
With an arrogant expression, Shalana leisurely began fanning herself.
“What happened to the guards who conducted the ritual?”
“One seems to be dead. The other one lost consciousness but seems like they can serve as a witness.”
“……”
“Oh my, how fortunate.”
Click.
Shalana smiled faintly as she folded her fan.
“And not only that, embezzlement, leaking of confidential information, suspicion of assassinating a loose priest, and so on… You’ve been quite busy.”
“W-What… How many accusations are you going to throw at me…!”
“Even using the relic smuggled on the Imperial Fourth Prince Ulysses.”
Garoth’s vision darkened at Shalana’s continuation.
How did it come to this? Originally, these were things that could have been buried in the darkness, but what was the reason for it turning out like this?
‘Too… Hasty.’
From an ordinary devotee to committing all sorts of atrocities to rise to the position of Archdeacon. If exposed, the position he had built up until now would disappear without a trace.
‘A matter of life and death… Hoho.’
Like the monologue of the Julian, the position of Archdeacon was made through a matter of life and death. That’s why he became impatient.
With eyes that seemed to see through everything, with two eyes that didn’t even hold emotions, he made hasty decisions.
“Well then, until the trial, let us take charge of Archdeacon Garoth’s safety. Don’t worry too much~ If you’re truly innocent, surely the Sun God will assist Archdeacon Garoth~”
Clack.
With the tail end of her words, Shalana chuckled like a coiling snake.
Just this once, if he could get through this just this once.
He would take revenge.
‘On Shalana, of course! And that damned slit eyed bastard!’
***
Although the only staircase collapsed, fortunately, there was an escape route in the underground. It served as a disposal site for demon corpses, so the ceiling opened and closed to circulate the poison. It was quite high, but for those with a certain level of ability, it wasn’t too difficult to get out of there. After escaping, Ulysses went to the infirmary, while Linne and I went to our lodgings. Throughout the journey, Linne nagged at me to treat my wounds.
“Aren’t you cold even though there’s a hole like that?”
With a slightly gruff but worried tone, Linne asked, but I shook my head.
“I’m fine.”
“…If you say so.”
With a skeptical look, Linne just smiled at me. Go to the infirmary of the Holy Nation looking like this? They would definitely find out that my ‘bandages’ were demonic energy. Then I’d be in even more trouble.
Once again, let me reiterate, the goal of my current life is ‘safety first’. But strangely enough, the pain has significantly subsided, whether it’s due to the pain-relieving effects of Sombra or this pathological aura is causing the ‘pain’.
[Trait <Amnesia> has transformed into a <New Sword Saint>.]
No, it could possibly be the aftermath of the new characteristic. During the battle with Idel, I could see the text indicating that my trait had changed after using the sword used by the ‘Sword Saint’.
‘New Sword Saint’
.. It’s a new trait and title. Originally, the term ‘Sword Saint’ has no significance with the qualifier ‘new’.
The fact that the protagonist of this story was the ‘Sword Saint’, the modifier ‘new’ appearing means it signifies the death of that protagonist.
‘Are you really making me the protagonist?’
I couldn’t believe it, but at the same time, I entertained the ‘maybe’ possibility.
A Sword Saint who neglects his duties and even implants demonic energy into his body can’t become the protagonist.
“I will check Lord Ulysses’s condition and be back.”
Linne’s voice broke my contemplation. Linne went to see Ulysses, who might be receiving treatment elsewhere out of concern. It might be due to the fact that this place is temporarily hostile and there have been many incidents. When she disappeared, the surroundings quieted down. It was an environment conducive to organizing thoughts, but I sensed something. Through ‘mana detection’, I confirmed its identity as a Black Guard.
“Are you here to wrap things up?”
He might be one of the pursuers who had been following me. He probably came under the Archdeacon’s orders. We cooperated underground against a common enemy called ‘demon’, but that might not be the case anymore. Feeling tense, I gripped my sword…
“Sir Julian, or…”
Huh?
“Bishop Julian, I apologize for greeting you so late.”
I felt momentarily dizzy at the Black Guard’s words. Oh my, is there even a Dawn Society’s meddling here?
“I see you’re not surprised. You must have noticed.”
I was just dumbfounded, that’s all.
“How could I not recognize a comrade with the same goal?”
“If you noticed the pursuit and stayed quiet, it must have been because of that.”
No, the reason I stayed quiet was purely to avoid any disturbances…
“If not for that, you wouldn’t even be alive to converse with me now. Hoho.”
Even so, I decided to encourage his imagination. After all, it was somewhat ‘Julian-like’ and not entirely unprofitable.
Glug.
Upon swallowing my warning, the Black Guard, familiar with my warnings, revealed something. A purple symbol representing fear.
‘Even knowing that I have three holes in my body, you react like this…’
Honestly, speaking, the people of the Holy Nation were a bit insensitive to the name ‘Julian’, which was somewhat regrettable.
Now, am I becoming ‘Julian-like’ too?
“That being said, the fact that there’s a member of the Dawn Society here…”
Just how far do their roots extend?
“What happened to the Archdeacon who caused us so much trouble?”
So the Archdeacon did this? I indirectly probe the Black Guard with a metaphorical expression.
“Currently, Archdeacon Shalana has secured Archdeacon Garoth’s safety due to the crime of smuggling artifacts.”
As expected, it was indeed the Archdeacon’s doing. Moreover, it turns out Archdeacon Garoth, who even baptized Ulysses directly, was involved.
Just as Ulysses sought peace with the Holy Nation, Garoth must have thought of the Empire’s prince. Was he trying to strengthen that line of thought by dropping a hint or two?
“I apologize. I should have informed you sooner or taken action, but there were many eyes around.”
“It’s alright. Dealing with espionage is like walking on thin ice.”
“… Thanks for understanding.”
Understanding my foot! I almost died!
“By the way, knowing that all of this was Archdeacon Garoth’s doing… And the battle you fought in solitude during the duel was also part of the plan.”
The Black Guard affiliated with the Dawn Society opened his mouth with a slightly admiring tone.
“That solitude battle is something the Sword Saint created for his own safety. Since you completely overturned such a solitary battle…”
What kind of nonsense is this again?
That solitary battle was created not by the Archdeacon but by ‘Hayden Reich’?
‘He’s going all out. What a lunatic.’
The one obsessed with power is ‘Julian,’ but in reality, having experienced it firsthand, the Sword Saint is not to be underestimated. Indeed, it was the ‘player’ who, through choices, made the Sword Saint seem like a virtuous sage, but originally his methods are ruthless beyond measure. Still, I really liked the ‘Sword Saint’ I chose.
“Archbishop, no, Grand Archbishop Tenellon will also be satisfied.”
I didn’t do it for his satisfaction. I only did it to survive. But since things have turned out this way, what does it matter? Let’s just give a little lip service and move on.
“Of course, it was what needed to be done. It’s all for the cause of the Dawn Society. You’re doing well too.”
“Thank you for saying so, Sir Julian!”
A look of respect filled the face of the slightly shrunken Black Guard as his expression brightened.
***
The Sword Saint formed the ‘Battle of Solitude’ to concentrate the demon’s dark energy. The Archdeacon smuggled the sacred relic and pointed his blade at us. These were events of great magnitude, but the most immediate danger to my life right now is this:
‘Ulysses can’t seem to open his eyes.’
The activation of the sacred relic, ‘Engraved Lie,’ has been stopped. However, something might have happened during the preparation process. For example, his head might have been injured or there might be abnormalities in his brain, a vital organ.
‘If, by any chance, Ulysses cannot wake up…’
It’s easy to predict what will happen to me, who came as a guard. No matter how many elder siblings Ulysses has and despite having no claim to the throne, a royal is still a royal, isn’t he? Even if they don’t blame me for a grave crime due to his status, the royal family is full of wolves eager to send me to the guillotine.
Therefore, if Ulysses cannot open his eyes here or is declared dead, a cold decision must be made.
‘…….. I might really have to follow the Sword Saint.’
Suddenly, while waiting outside, the door to the arena infirmary opened, and Linne, who had been checking on Ulysses’ condition, burst out.
“Prince Ulysses has awakened!”
Hmm, fortunately, it seems I don’t need to prepare for exile.
Cliche Novel 