novelraw Chapter 103 : Chapter 103
Chapter 103 : Chapter 103
Chapter 103: Light (2)
There was no device to hold the demon, but it was undoubtedly a guillotine.
A large, slanted, pure white blade struck the demon's neck.
Unlike the guillotine that fell forcefully, the head fell quietly to the ground. Seria was in front of that head.
She quietly looked down at the head, raised her hands, and offered a prayer to the Sun God Laan. It was a report that she had executed one demon.
Such a voice was incredibly gentle.
The expression with which she looked down at the head was the epitome of serenity.
'She's calmer than I thought.'
For the past five days, Seria had been crying out for demons.
She had been prone to falling into Agitation due to the stress of not being able to touch those she suspected of being demons.
'It's a rare fruit of her labor.'
Although she had finally found the mage she had been searching for so desperately, Seria did not become agitated.
The glimpse of satisfaction was not large enough to fall into Agitation.
'She's like someone who has finally finished their homework.'
Harad was reminded of a mage by Seria.
To be precise, a mage addicted to hearts.
A mage who struggles to find a mage to hunt, and then finally feels relief after eating their heart.
Excluding the ecstasy of taking a heart, Seria's current appearance resembled such a mage.
"How do you feel?"
"I feel my faith deepening."
"Vague."
The vessel is getting bigger.
This too was a mage-like answer.
While mages increase their magic through other mages, it seemed that priests' faith, which is the vessel that holds divine power, increases.
'I really don't get it.'
Faith.
That which is directed towards a god is ultimately the human heart.
The deepening of an individual's heart could not be called a phenomenon.
'It's none of my business.'
Divine power. He was interested in that power, but he had no intention of digging into it.
The Church is to be used, not to be associated with.
They are the kind of people who might drive a stake into your back at any moment.
To Harad, the Church was such an entity.
He didn't want to distinguish the world in black and white, but it couldn't be helped.
Harad was not an individual.
If he explodes, Serzila explodes too.
Before he knew it, Seria's face was flushed.
It seemed that she became excited when she found a demon, and calm when she killed one.
'It's usually the other way around.'
It was the complete opposite of the priests he had seen in his past life.
They felt ecstasy at the death of a demon, or someone suspected of being a demon.
Seria was definitely an exceptional priest.
"The two of you should probably head back now."
Seria said.
"Oh dear. Have we been squeezed dry?"
"You're mischievous."
Seria smiled slightly and then turned serious.
"It's surely a trap. It's dangerous."
Because it's dangerous, I'll go alone.
Ellen had a rather surprised expression.
In other words, it also meant that they should stay out of it because it's dangerous.
When had Ellen ever heard such a thing?
"Also, it's my task. There's no reason for the two of you to join."
Of course, she was only surprised.
Ellen did not try to interfere further. That was their relationship.
"Is that so? The ones who came to get me were them."
But Harad was different.
Ellen's eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"It will be more helpful."
"I appreciate the sentiment, but you probably won't be able to find them. The great plain is so vast."
The ones they were targeting was Harad.
Without him, Seria would not be able to find them.
"The demon pillar is hostile to the Church. If I go, they will target me."
Liberation Tower.
The Church calls it the demon pillar as a pejorative term.
Liberation is an undeserved expression for a demon.
"No. There is such a thing as priority. I am probably higher, than you."
Just one priest.
The only things the Liberation Tower would gain by killing a priest are pride as a mage and the group's morale.
But if they kill Harad, the Liberation Tower will gain the trust of the Ivory Tower's 5th Rank, Psina.
It must be a trust that is absolutely necessary to establish a close relationship with the Ivory Tower.
Of course, it was all Harad's doing, but anyway.
For the Liberation Tower, who doesn't know the truth, there's no reason to waste their strength on Seria.
They are in a position where they have to use that strength to target Harad.
"Harad is more important to the demon pillar than I am."
Seria had a hurt expression.
"Now that I see it, you seem to rate yourself quite highly. Or do you hold the god you serve in high regard?"
"…………."
"If it stems from the latter, it would be best to refrain. Because that is not you."
God is a public good.
At least, that's what Harad thought.
"The great plain. I don't know what they're preparing there, but there probably isn't just one demon. They must have anticipated the knights I would bring."
"Why do you think so?"
Seria seemed to have assumed one or two mages.
"They must have judged that I wouldn't come alone. Because I have no power."
When he used the quill while pretending to be Psina, Harad had not revealed any information about himself.
They wouldn't even imagine he was a mage, nor would they think he was a knight.
Since Harad had never shown his Aura.
"Then why did the demons set a trap? From that perspective, it seems they would have also judged that Harad wouldn't come to the great plain."
"That's likely. But that is my judgment. The judgment of Serzila, who heard that information from me, is different."
There is no reason to go into a trap knowing it's a trap.
But Serzila goes.
"Serzila would order me to resolve it. Since the bugs have set up shop in our front yard. Given my position, the available forces wouldn't be large."
Meaning, the trap in the great plain is a quite rational choice.
"Of course, it's also true that they've pushed their luck. They are knights of Serzila, after all, even if they are few."
"…………."
"Perhaps the failure of the five demons you killed also had an effect. They must have judged that they couldn't kill me within the territory."
Seria looked unconvinced.
It was probably because to her, Harad was nothing more than an Intelligence Bureau agent.
"Is Harad that important to them? To the point of being prepared to fight Serzila's knights?"
"To the point of staking their lives on it. The details are confidential."
The Ios and the tunnels that had caused him so much trouble in his past life were no longer there.
The Liberation Tower had to create a new point of contact with the Otherworld.
"So if you really want to catch a demon, you'll have to take me."
"…………."
"Or I'll bring the knights. Oh, see that over there? The 2nd Knights. They're close with me."
Harad grinned, pointing at a passerby.
It was a stranger.
* * *
Before going into battle.
Those with divine power offer prayers.
If there is time, the prayer is long.
Because they believe that the longer the prayer, the stronger they become.
Of course, their divine power does not increase.
But it is not a meaningless act.
In Serzila terms, it was similar to the act of beating one's heart.
It is to steel one's will, to temper one's heart.
The faith tempered through prayer gives birth to miracles. So says the Church.
In Harad's view, it gives birth to fanaticism. Since they never fear death.
No, they rather welcome it.
Martyrdom is the most supreme prayer one can offer to God.
Tsk.
Ellen flicked off the ash and put a new cigarette in her mouth. It was a cigarette he hadn't seen in a while. Harad lit it for her.
"Be careful, what if you get caught."
"When they pray, they wouldn't know if someone carried them away."
Seria was offering a prayer on the eastern wall.
Harad was in front of the gate, and Ellen was leaning against the wall.
"It's been a while since I've seen you smoke."
Ellen is not a chain smoker.
Maybe when she drinks, but normally, she only smokes when something she doesn't like happens.
"Is something wrong?"
There shouldn't be.
Harad had been with Ellen the whole time.
If something had happened, he would have noticed.
'Because we're going to the trap?'
Perhaps. Seria aside, Ellen was with him.
He didn't know what the trap was, but it probably wasn't enough to threaten Ellen and a 4th Rank mage.
The Liberation Tower's forces were not that strong.
'I don't know how many 5th Ranks they have at this time, but they wouldn't have sent their core forces.'
That would be like introducing to the Otherworld that they are this weak.
The Liberation Tower is in a position to prove its usefulness to Psina.
They have to solve something like this without their superiors.
"Is that woman your type?"
Ellen asked, flicking the ash.
It was a sudden question.
"Woman?"
"I'm talking about Seria. Do you have a thing for crazy women?"
A crazy woman.
Harad stared at Ellen.
"Well, I don't dislike them. Better than the meek ones."
"Is that why you're helping her?"
Ellen snorted.
"That's not why I'm helping. Strictly speaking, she's the one helping."
From Harad's perspective, Seria was taking care of the Liberation Tower's Rebellion faction for him.
It was a shame he couldn't eat the hearts, but he had just felt the danger of addiction.
'I should check the extent of the seizures soon.'
He could throw away the minor hearts.
"I'm going to watch. I don't know what the Liberation Tower will say."
Psina. Tunnels.
Either one was a dangerous statement.
It was no good for it to reach the ears of the Church.
"It would be giving the Church a pretext. If either of those were to become known, they would surely try to interfere with the Wall."
The Boundary might be blocked.
Such a situation had to be prevented at all costs.
Harad still had a lot of business in the Boundary.
And it was the same for Ellen. She needed the Boundary for her growth.
"And Seria is not my type."
"What is your type..."
"Shall we depart now?"
Before he knew it, Seria was right next to them.
She had finished her prayer and come down from the wall. She pointed at the gate.
"……."
Ellen flicked the cigarette she was smoking roughly.
Thwack! A sound like a flick on the forehead came from the cigarette.
* * *
The great plain to the east.
That snowy field that stretched to the edge of sight, Serzila calls it the front yard. The snowy mountain to the west is the backyard.
It means they are that familiar with it. The management of the front yard and backyard has been Serzila's task for generations.
They periodically subjugated dangerous animals and Magical Beasts.
'Come to think of it, it's not long now.'
In the new year, subjugations and festivals are scheduled one after another.
They were familiar events for the regressed Harad.
To him too, this great plain was a front yard.
Because Elaine had forced him to think so.
"It's incredible."
Seria exclaimed in awe.
Because her voice had to be heard.
The sky gifted the desolate plain with snow and wind.
Of course, that wind and chill were insignificant compared to the Boundary, but that was an assessment that only those who could enter the Boundary could make.
The great plain in winter was undoubtedly a harsh land.
Without divine power, Seria couldn't even open her eyes. And she had to increase her divine power even more to secure her vision.
"Can you see?"
"I can see just fine."
Ellen answered nonchalantly.
To her, the great plain was a front yard.
"Over there. If you go that way, something will come out. It's wide, but there are not many places to hide."
Ellen was the heir who had memorized all the geography of the North.
She could wander the great plain with her eyes closed.
'The Liberation Tower would hate to know this.'
To them, Ellen would be a bigger variable than Seria.
Could they have imagined that the Grand Heir of Serzila would be walking around with Harad in such a state?
"As expected of Ellen!"
Thanks to her head being smashed by Ellen's fist several times, Seria knew that Ellen was a strong person befitting a Serzila.
'She would be helpful, but she told her to stay out. Is it because she doesn't want to get Serzila in unnecessary trouble? Or is it to monopolize the demons?'
It must be the latter. Seria's nickname was the Guillotine.
And unlike a priest, she was cautious. The necks she had dropped must have mostly been mages'. She must be obsessed with mages that much.
His impression doesn't change much.
Whether they were civilians or mages, to Harad, they were the same people.
"Are you alright, Harad?"
Seria said.
Her voice was gentle, unfitting for the great plain.
Divine power had delivered that voice completely to Harad's ears.
It was a concern thrown because she knew Harad to be a smart civilian.
"I'm fine!"
Harad shouted loudly on purpose.
"Your clothes seem too thin."
Harad's overcoat was thin.
It was closer to an outer garment that looked like an overcoat to others than an actual overcoat.
It was to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. Thanks to that, Harad was always sweating within the territory.
"I have a lot of body heat!"
In fact, he was hot even now.
The blizzard on the great plain could not cool Harad's heat. He had to go to the Boundary to feel cool.
"What?"
Seria asked loudly in return.
Then she grabbed Harad's arms with both hands and her eyes widened. It's really warm! Seria shouted, looking at Ellen.
"Ellen, you too!"
Seria linked arms with him.
"……."
Suddenly.
Harad felt a chill.