Chapter 118
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
Chapter 118: Church’s Treasury (2)
***
Damien walked down the street with Radiant Light.
Paladins who recognized Radiant Light quickly lowered their heads.
She responded with a bright smile, replying to each greeting individually.
From the looks of it, she was indeed one of the Five Great Elders of the Church.
Nevertheless, Damien did not let down his guard.
Radiant Light was someone one should never underestimate.
Throughout their journey, Damien remained alert, trying to gauge Radiant Light’s intentions.
However…
‘Why aren’t you saying anything?’
Radiant Light continued to walk in silence, even humming a tune. It was when Damien sent an incredulous glance her way.
“You mentioned receiving the legendary holy sword?” Suddenly, Radiant Light spoke up.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Congratulations. It’s not common for someone to receive the legendary holy sword. Other paladins will surely envy you.”
Radiant Light glanced at Damien, still wearing her smile.
“Nevertheless, you should handle it with caution at first. The legendary holy sword, in its initial stage, is quite weak.”
He already received a briefing from Malta.
– Dawn is my finest creation. As it grows, it will surpass the Supreme Grade and may even reach the Special Grade. It might become even stronger than that.
Holy swords are divided into five grades.
Among them, the Special Grade swords belong to such rare ranks that only a few have been crafted throughout the long history of the Church.
They were considered ultimate weapons, created by mobilizing all the resources of the Church in truly dire circumstances.
– But that’s all a story for the future. Dawn is in its initial state now. It has never experienced battle. It may be superior to lower-grade holy swords, but it won’t match up to the Middle Grade.
That’s why Malta’s explanation emphasized the need to be cautious until Dawn grows sufficiently.
– And each time it grows, it’s best to return to the headquarters for further training. It’s like a snake shedding its skin for growth.”
“You seem to know a lot about the legendary holy sword.”
– Yes, indeed. I, too, have received the legendary holy sword. In my case, it’s not a sword but a hammer.”
Suddenly Radiant Light’s steps halted. Damien also stopped and stood beside her.
“Oh, we’ve already arrived. Time flies when you’re enjoying a conversation.”
Radiant Light pointed straight ahead.
“That’s the entrance to treasury.”
She gestured toward a massive statue sitting on a stone throne.
Below the statue was a stone gate. It seemed to be the entrance leading treasury.
Damien examined the statue. A rugged-looking man held a scripture in one hand and a mace in the other.
Suddenly, Damien noticed a ring on the hand holding the mace.
“That’s…”
It resembled the ring left behind by the mummy upon its disappearance.
Not only in appearance but also in the pattern engraved at the center, they were identical.
“Who is the statue depicting?”
“Oh, you’ve asked the right question.”
Proud expressions appeared on Radiant Light’s face at Damien’s question.
“He is none other than Bartholomeo, the first human to awaken divine power and found the Church…”
She continued with a tone of reverence.
“The First Holy Emperor, Bartholomeo.”
Bartholomeo.
It was a name that Damien had heard often since he was young.
The founder of the Church, the first scribe of the doctrine, the Great Judge.
Considering the influence of the Church spread across the entire continent, it was no exaggeration to say that there was no one in this world who did not know about Bartholomeo.
‘Was the mummy there Bartholomeo?’
The mummy that Damien faced was at least a master-class fighter in his lifetime.
Bartholomeo was also a master-class fighter in his lifetime. The story of how he crushed a dragon’s skull with a single mace was still passed down to this day.
‘But why did someone like Bartholomeo die in such a miserable way?’
Damien searched his memory. When he learned about Bartholomeo, he had also heard about his end.
‘I heard he was mortally wounded in battle with the dark mages and died, surrounded by light.’
Until now, Damien had never thought deeply about Bartholomeo’s end.
But now, after experiencing the mummy, his thoughts were different.
Didn’t being surrounded by light mean that his body was not left behind?
‘If that mummy was the first Holy Emperor… why was a fragment of Erebos in him?’
Erebos was a mysterious sword with no known origin.
Perhaps he could learn about Erebos if he investigated the first Holy Emperor.
Then suddenly, Damien pointed to the ring on the statue and asked.
“It must be an important ring, right? Judging by how meticulously it’s depicted?”
“Ah, that ring. It can’t be anything but important. It’s the symbol of the Salvation Squad.”
Salvation Squad.
It was the name of the group that Bartholomeo had been a part of in his youth.
A thousand years ago, when Bartholomeo was alive, the entire continent was said to be in chaos.
Dangerously powerful monsters inhabited every corner, demons from hell roamed free, and disasters struck frequently.
At that time, humans were forced to wander in order to avoid danger. They were too busy to survive to even think about establishing a nation.
That’s when the Salvation Squad appeared.
The Salvation Squad was a group of superhumans who came together to change the fate of humanity.
They exterminated every single monster that they deemed dangerous to humanity and sent all the demons back to hell.
Thus, they changed the continent to make it a more comfortable place for humans to live.
If one were to choose the most famous figures in the Salvation Squad, they would include Bartholomeo and the First Emperor of the Empire.
“Now that your curiosity is satisfied, shall we go inside?”
Radiant Light stepped forward and walked. Damien followed her closely and entered.
The inside of the statue was empty.
Instead, there was a small room that could accommodate three or four people protruding.
“We’re going to use that to go down.”
Radiant Light said, pointing to the small room.
“It’s a thing called a lift made by dwarves. It’s a magical thing that moves up and down. It only works if you infuse it with divine power.”
While Radiant Light spoke, the door to the statue closed again.
Only Damien, Radiant Light, and the lift were left in the large space.
“Oh my.”
Radiant Light smiled and said.
“We finally alone”
***
Right after that, Radiant Light’s atmosphere surrounding her changed.
The texture of the air that touched her skin changed. It felt like someone was rubbing her skin with sandpaper.
Damien could feel it.
A faint hostility was emanating from Radiant Light. That alone brought a tremendous sense of pressure.
“I can’t tell you how curious I’ve been,”
Radiant Light said, staring at Damien.
“I wondered what the person who killed my disciple looked like. What kind of personality did the person who ruined our sect’s plan have? I was so curious that I always thought about you.”
The plan that Radiant Light was referring to was for the sect ‘Blinding Pain’ to take control of the Church.
The reason for this was that from the perspective of ‘Blinding Pain’, the current Church was too merciful.
The Church of the past was a fanatical group that would even burn down entire villages in search of dark mages.
The goal of ‘Blinding Pain’ was to return the Church to its former state.
It was a goal worthy of ‘Blinding Pain’, which was made up of nothing but fanatics.
“You know, because of your interference, our sect suffered a lot.”
“You seem too good for someone like that.”
“I had a hard time because it was all blamed on Sanus’s personal plan.”
Sanus was Radiant Light’s disciple.
When the Corpseplay’s dungeon was raided, Sanus tried to kill all the other paladins of other sects for the sake of her sect’s plan.
Sanus’s betrayal was stopped by Damien, and she was executed on the spot.
It was amazing that they had managed to cover up such a major incident showing it as a personal plan of the individual involved.
But considering the influence of ‘Blinding Pain’, it was only to be expected.
“Is it okay for you to tell me all this?”
“You already know everything, don’t you? That’s why I’m talking to you so comfortably.”
Radiant Light replied with a bright smile.
“Even so, the prestige of our sect has fallen considerably. So much so that I and the other paladins of our sect will have to be on probation for a while.”
It seemed that they had not been unaffected after all.
Even the Great Elders, who were as good as kings, had to be on probation.
“That’s why I had so many things I wanted to say to you when I saw you… but I had to hold back because there were too many eyes watching.”
“Are you planning to get revenge?”
Radiant Light laughed out loud at Damien’s question.
“I can understand why you might misunderstand. After all, Sanus was my disciple. Oh, she was more than just a disciple. She was like a daughter to me, whom I had raised myself since she was a child.”
For a moment, sadness appeared in Radiant Light’s eyes.
“But Sanus died practicing the teachings of the our sect. She died following the will of God, so it is a cause for joy. Perhaps even she would not have resented you. Don’t you think so?”
Radiant Light was right. Sanus did not resent Damien until the moment she died.
“So I have no intention of revenge. Sanus’s death is not a sad thing, but something to be celebrated.”
As she said this, Radiant Light’s eyes were eerily clear.
It meant that it was the truth, without a single lie.
“Besides, if I hurt you… Elder Cheongyeum and Her Holiness won’t just leave me alone, will they?”
Although she spoke lightly, Radiant Light’s atmosphere remained unchanged.
She was still exuding a chilling and eerie murderous intent.
“But keep this in mind. This is the only time I’ll tolerate your interference. If you try to ruin our sect’s plans again in the future…”
The smile disappeared from Radiant Light’s face.
“Then we will not leave you alone.”
Radiant Light’s killing intent grew even stronger. The air felt like it had turned into needles.
As he breathed, he had the illusion that a clump of needles was being pushed in along with the air.
“Thank you for the advice.”
In the midst of it all, Damien smiled. It was not a forced smile, but a natural one that flowed out of him.
In his previous life, Damien had fought against countless masters. He had experienced the killing intent of masters countless times.
So, this level of killing intent could not have any effect on Damien.
“…You.”
Even Radiant Light could not help but be surprised by Damien’s calm demeanor.
“I also have something to say. You can’t restrict my actions like this.”
Damien spoke to Radiant Light with sincerity.
“So, if you want to take my head, you’d better move quickly. If you’re even a little late, I’ll rise to a position where you can’t touch me.”
Damien and Radiant Light stared at each other for a while.
“Tsk.”
Radiant Light laughed and retracted her killing intent. The world became quiet again.
“I appreciate the advice. Then shall we go to the treasury?”
As Radiant Light put her hand on the lift, the door swung open to the left and right.
***
The lift carrying the two of them descended underground.
“Her Holiness has only granted you permission to go down to the first basement level,”
Radiant Light said.
“It goes without saying, but the more precious the item, the lower the floor it is stored on.”
“Please don’t think badly of me. It’s actually very difficult to even enter the first floor.”
The lift carrying the two of them stopped on the first floor.
“You can only take one item. It’s no use hiding it. The magic circle that covers the entire statue will detect it immediately.”
The door of the lift opened. Radiant Light waved her hand and said.
“Have a good time~.”
Damien stepped out of the lift.
His first thought was that it was a warehouse.
There were tall ceilings and rows of large shelves that reached up to them. There were countless items on them.
There were rare monster byproducts, various potions, and many magical atifacts and holy relics.
‘There are no weapons or armor.’
Come to think of it, all the decent weapons and armor were kept in the armory.
Any weapons and armor worth keeping in the treasury would be incredibly valuable, so they would be kept at the deepest level.
‘Should I take some potions?’
There were also many potions in the treasury. However, it was disappointing that there were none that were as good as the core of the Sea Serpent that he had received from King Apple.
‘Potions are good, but something more valuable… Hmm?’
Suddenly, Damien found a sealed box.
The gaps were sealed with wax, but the lid was made of glass, so he could see inside.
Five bracelets were inside the box.
– Made by One of the Five Great Elders.
– Bracelet with built-in protective magical shield.
– Consumes stored divine power to defend against external attacks.
– Divine power cannot be recharged.
Damien approached the box as if possessed by something.
Items enchanted with magic were called magical tools or artifacts. Similarly, items containing miracles were called holy relics.
A holy relic made by One of the Five Great Elders was sure to contain an incredible miracle.
The only downside was that it could not be recharged with divine power.
It was as good as a consumable, so it came in a set of five.
Damien picked up the box.
In fact, Damien didn’t really need such a holy relic. He had many ways to defend against enemy attacks.
The only reason Damien chose this holy relic was this.
Family.
He was thinking of giving it to his parents, sister, Abel, and his wife, Olivia.
Wearing this bracelet would protect them from external attacks. It meant that they could be prepared for accidents in addition to defending against enemy attacks in battle.
‘I’ll have to go and give them each one.’
Damien returned to the lift with a rare sense of joy.
“You’re back already? What kind of item did you choose… Oh, it’s a holy relic I made.”
Damien’s high spirits were brought crashing down by Radiant Light’s words.
“…You made this?”
“Yes, I made it when I was young to protect the paladins of the Church.”
Radiant Light looked at the bracelet with a longing expression.
“I’m not bragging, but even a high-class attack can be blocked with that bracelet. It will consume all the divine power though.”
Radiant Light added with a smile.
“If you ever use up all the divine power, come find me. I’ll make you another one.”
Of course, there would never be a reason for him to come after using up all the holy relics.
Damien thought so and got on the lift.
***
Damien and Radiant Light took the lift back up to the first floor.
“You’re finally coming up.”
Cheongyeum was waiting for them outside.
“Oh, Elder. How long have you been waiting?”
“Don’t act coy. You dared to make a false report and make me move, and in the meantime, you contacted Sir Damien?”
At those words, Damien glared at Radiant Light.
He had wondered how Radiant Light came instead of Cheongyeum, but he didn’t know there was such an inside story.
“I apologize for my rudeness, but I wanted to have some private time with Sir Damien.”
Even in the face of Cheongyeum’s anger, Radiant Light was very relaxed.
“You’d better be prepared for this.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Come with me quickly. Her Holiness is calling us both.”
Oh, Radiant Light covered his mouth with his hand and said.
“Is something wrong?”
At Radiant Light’s question, Cheongyeum said with a serious face.
“The branches of the Church in the Mandarin Kingdom were attacked by dark mages.”
Radiant Light’s eyes turned fierce at those words.
“They say there were two of them. A combination of a dark knight and a dark mage.”
Dark knight.
It was a word that meant a knight who used dark mana instead of normal mana.
‘Two people? A dark knight?’
The moment he heard the two words, Damien was reminded of his past memories.
There were those who used to go around and attack the branches of the Church at this time.
The Hanger couple.
They were the ones who had been running errands for Dorugo in the far future and handling all sorts of dirty work.
The husband was a high-class knight and the wife was a High-level dark mage.
They were a formidable force, so even the church had suffered greatly at the hands of the couple.
However, that was not why Damien remembered the couple.
– Lord Dorugo! I have investigated! I have searched the entire Apple Kingdom for the name Damien Haksen!
– He had a family! There is a small family in the Viscounty of Haksen!
– Both parents are alive, and he has one older sister and one younger brother!
It was the Hanger couple who had found out everything about his family and reported it to Dorugo on his orders.
***
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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