Chapter 138

“The scale of the castle is quite impressive, isn’t it?”

Indeed. The size of the central residential area—composed of the main castle, the inner castle, and the outer castle—was vast. Seol was formidable enough, but this place looked to be at least twice its size.

For reference, in the southern part of the Northern Continent, including the Baran Empire, an area consisting of the main castle where the lord resides, the inner castle for noble families and the wealthy, and the outer castle for commoners is called a Dominium. Since it serves as the capital of the fief, it is also referred to as the Castle City.

Anyway, I looked down from the mountain at the Castle City, which spanned nearly 50 kilometers in diameter, and gestured with my chin to the group that had followed me.

“You all know what you have to do, right? Do it well, and I’ll make sure your pay is more than generous.”

Well, since the entirety of Bordeaux Island—complete with the legacy of the Bordeaux Kingdom—had fallen into my hands, the chances of me running out of money had essentially vanished. Of course, since I had to go through the tedious process of excavation, I couldn’t just throw money around recklessly, but even so, paying these guys wouldn’t make me bat an eye.

However, to secure that ownership, I absolutely had to get my hands on that “Shadow Saintess” or whatever her name was.

“Why make it sound so complicated? Just say you want us to smash everything in sight to draw aggro. Orabeoni, don’t worry about anything else; just go catch that Count.”

At that, Sodin frowned at Chel.

“How crude.”

“What was that, you bookworm nerd? While you were stuck in a corner of a lab digging through books, I was running an entire organization, you know? There are always girls like you who confuse knowledge with wisdom.”

“Ha… that booger-sized guild called CK or KC? That’s an ‘organization’? Isn’t it just a hobby club? Besides, wisdom only comes from a base of knowledge. It’s always the dim-witted ones who try to cover up their lack of study by babbling about ‘wisdom.’”

“Ho… you want to go?”

“Heh. Can you even handle a fight?”

“You bitch….”

“You ignorant girl….”

I smiled warmly as I watched the two of them exchange words so freely.

“You two have become quite close.”

“WE HAVE NOT!?”

“NO, WE HAVEN’T!!”

“O-oh, really? You’ve dropped honorifics and are trading jokes… at that point, aren’t you friends?”

The two, who had been shouting at each other, suddenly slumped their shoulders at my words and looked each other in the face.

“Whew… I’m losing energy.”

“See? I told you. There’s no point. Just let it be.”

“Hmm… I don’t know what it is, but I’m pretty sure you’ve become friends.”

“NO!”

“I SAID NO!?”

Of course, I’m not an idiot. As long as I have eyes, I can see that the Mansion faction and the West Continent faction aren’t becoming friends as easily as I’d hoped.

“Eyes… you had those? You?”

“Hey. Stop nitpicking my monologue.”

“Hmph.”

However, that doesn’t mean their relationship is the same as the day they first met. Human relationships are bound to change in one direction or another when people are close. And looking closely today, their dynamic has shifted in a rather interesting way.

First, Chel and Sodin are, as just seen, formidable rivals and arch-nemeses.

And Elizabeth and Selan are in a “Princess and Follower(?)” relationship.

“Hmph, a primitive city like this… we don’t even need Leo; Snoopy alone could handle it….”

“S-Snoopy is that Twin-Horned Wolf, right? Just like the Lion Monster, he’s r-really amazing.”

“Hmph. At least you have an eye for talent, Selan. Snoopy, come out.”

Grrrrr….

“Wow, c-cool. Elizabeth, possessing four monsters like this… I r-really think you’re the s-strongest among these people.”

“That’s what I’m saying! But nobody else seems to realize it!”

“I-in that sense, could I borrow Snoopy for this fight? As you know, I-I’m very weak… I think I’d feel r-really safe with Snoopy. You’d still be r-really strong even without one, right, Elizabeth?”

“E-eh? Ah… well, yeah.”

“Th-thank you! I knew a strong person would have such generosity!”

“H-hmph. Well, of course.”

“A-and, I’ll borrow this Carbuncle too.”

“Eh? Wait? Why the Carbuncle?”

“With him, I-I can avoid stray arrows and stuff. A w-weak human like me is likely to get stabbed while spacing out, unlike a warrior like you. Even with just that l-lion monster, you’re way stronger than anyone else here, aren’t you?”

“W-well, th-that’s… true… but I need the Carbuncle too….”

“I-I knew you were incredible! To still be the strongest even with half your forces gone! I r-really respect you! Th-thank you! I’ll use them well!”

“U-uh… sure.”

“Ah, right. A-and I saw that Aegis-whatever artifact, and it was a-amazing. I heard that w-with just that, you’re way s-stronger than most mages?”

“Uh… yeah. Once you get used to it….”

“Th-then aren’t you the strongest even without pets? Can I borrow the lion monster too? I-I think this would be a great o-opportunity to prove you’re the strongest even without p-pets!”

“No, that’s a bit….”

“Tsk. Guess I can’t push it that far.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“A-ah, nothing. Just saying you’re amazing. Even though I’m older, can I call you pushov– I mean, Big Sister from now on?”

“Hmph. Well, if you want.”

“Th-thank you! E-Elizabeth Unnie! Th-then I’ll take the Carbuncle and the Twin-Horned Wolf! I-it’s okay if I return them in about a week, right? It is!? Y-you really are big-hearted! L-let’s go! Snoopy! Carbuncle! From today, these pets are mine!”

“N-no… I only lent them to you.”

…Rather than a princess and a follower, they seem more like a dancing bear and a circus director. At any rate, perhaps because she’s spent her whole life walking on eggshells, Selan’s ability to read people’s moods and thoughts is no joke. Even now, she realized Elizabeth’s desire for recognition had peaked from being pushed around by Chel and Kelly, and she immediately started buttering her up to squeeze out as much as possible.

…Wait. Then her sticking to me and calling me “Master” is….

“That is because your heart has a desire to hear the word Master from a mysterious young woma—owww….”

“Hey. I told you not to read my monologue.”

“My cheeekth are thtretching… thtop itttt….”

–

And Illeia gets along quite well with Ailet among the West Continent members, likely because they both occupy the “Sane Person(?)” position.

“It would be best to move in a direction that draws maximum aggro, right?”

“Mm. Correct. This is, after all, an offering for Sword God.”

“So, we’ll enter the depths of the inner castle immediately….”

“Wait. Why the inner castle? In terms of drawing out the enemy’s forces, the outer castle would be more appropriate.”

“But if we cause a commotion in the outer castle, the commoners might get hurt.”

“It’s not like people in the inner castle won’t get hurt.”

“Most of the people living in the depths of the inner castle are nobles, aren’t they?”

“Is it okay for nobles to get hurt?”

“Yes.”

“…Eh?”

“The Mother Goddess said it is harder for a noble to be good than for a dragon to pass through the eye of a needle. She also said not to commit the folly of expecting anything from a noble by trusting such low odds. The point is, cracking a noble’s skull is not a sin, regardless of the reason.”

“…Does the scripture really say that?”

“Of course.”

“That makes no sense….”

“Are you a believer of the Mother Goddess Order? Are you a priest of the Mother Goddess Order? Have you even read the Kanan Scriptures? If not, then keep quiet. If I, a priestess, say it’s right, then it’s right.”

“…P-psycho priestess.”

“How rude. By the way, I’m also a bit curious… what are that syringe and bottle you’ve been fiddling with for a while?”

“Ah, this? I prepared this to draw some of the Count’s blood once Sword God captures him.”

“The Count’s blood?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“According to the books I’ve read since coming to this continent, descriptions of nobles always use the expression ‘blue blood.’ To be honest, that’s not a phrase we use on the Western Continent.”

“……?”

“So, it occurred to me that Northern nobles might have some distinct biological trait that differentiates their lineage. If not, there would be no reason to emphasize ‘blue blood’ to this extent. Since they say the higher the noble, the deeper the blue, I’m planning to draw some blood and study it once we capture the Count.”

“…So, you’re saying that bottle is for the Count’s blood? Isn’t it… a bit too large, though?”

“Ah, well, opportunities to secure the blood of someone as high-ranking as a Count don’t come often. I’m planning to draw about 5 liters to secure as many samples as possible.”

“Won’t he die if you draw 5 liters?”

“…Weren’t you planning on killing him anyway? Does it matter if he dies from a decapitation or blood loss?”

“…P-psycho mage.”

“That’s rude.”

Guys. You’re… you’re both sane, right?

And finally, the last two—Kelly and Scala—were literal outsiders….

“Um… why exactly am I here?”

I spoke to Kelly, who looked thoroughly unimpressed.

“Hmm? If you’re not feeling it, you can head back. I told you from the start: only those who want to participate should come.”

“No, it’s not that I hate it. I love opportunities to run wild like this. It’s just… the situation feels like it’s flowing completely regardless of my will….”

At that, Sodin, who was still bickering with Chel, turned her head toward her.

“Chel. That girl acts like a total lunatic when it’s just us… why is she acting so prim and proper in front of Sword God?”

“I told you. The doppelganger story. Just leave her be. In a bit, she’ll be acting like a lunatic in front of Orabeoni too, as if she never acted otherwise.”

“I don’t think that’s particularly good news either.”

Just then, from a distance, Scala—who had finished maintaining her recently purchased wand—came walking over, her footsteps crunching on the soil.

Immediately, the Western Continent group, including Chel and even Kelly, shut their mouths tight and whipped their heads the other way.

I tilted my head at their reaction, which looked like they’d just spotted their high school bully.

“What’s with this reaction?”

Chel shook her head and clicked her tongue.

“Orabeoni. You shouldn’t mess with a true lunatic unless you’re planning to kill them. She’s really….”

Hmm… I guess a lot has happened while I wasn’t looking.

Well, besides them, there was Leo—who was busy flexing his muscles in a front lat spread toward anyone who would look—and old man Talos, who had come along for a mindless outing and became a special guest for this event… but that sight is an eyesore, so let’s pretend they aren’t there.

“Let’s head out. Cause a commotion at the designated spots, but don’t feel obligated to hold your ground. Move freely according to the situation. If things get hairy, it’s okay to withdraw.”

For the record, I’m the only one entering the main castle where the Count resides. Originally, Shia was going to accompany me… but for some reason, she backed out, saying it would be more fun to watch the outer or inner castle get turned upside down.

Anyway…

“Sword God. See you in a bit.”

“Orabeoni. Be careful.”

“Mister. Good luck!”

“Mr. Sword God. Please be careful.”

“Oppa. If you get hurt, run straight to me.”

“M-master. I’ll d-definitely prove I’m worth the money.”

“Sword God-nim. I will do my best to earn your praise all day long.”

“Man, your popularity is insane. In my day, I was also….”

“Hey, old timer. Your muscles are sagging. At this rate, this is my victory….”

“Phew. That’s a lot. No matter how I look at it, I brought too many people. Anyway, you guys be careful too.”

Well, we exchanged greetings like that, but honestly, neither they nor I are worried about each other. To them, my skill has moved past mere trust and into the realm of faith… and their combat power is also at a level where they could steamroll a typical fief in the blink of an eye.

If there’s a variable, it’s the Masters who are supposedly the pride of the Count’s fief… but they won’t go running to them first while leaving me behind to take the Count’s head.

“Alright. Let’s go. Sodin. Teleport me to the main castle, please.”

Swish.

The scenery before my eyes changes. The location is a blind spot right in front of the main castle gate.

Entering any further was impossible because of the artifacts plastered all over the place.

“Thanks. You head back now and regroup with the members.”

“I really think it would be better if I assisted from your side….”

I shook my head.

“Honestly, I feel more comfortable moving alone here.”

Sodin made a slightly disappointed face at my refusal, but then she looked around and suddenly grabbed both my cheeks with her hands.

Then, before I could even react, she quickly pressed her lips to mine.

“Mmph…!”

The kiss didn’t last very long.

When she slowly pulled away, she waved her hands frantically, her face flushed beet red as if she wasn’t used to doing such things.

“I-it doesn’t mean anything special! Just! That… there’s a superstition that a kiss from a pure elf brings good luck…! It’s just to make sure you don’t get hurt….”

By using the word ‘pure,’ she revealed the fact that she was a virgin, and by calling it a ‘superstition,’ she accidentally revealed that she just did it because she wanted to, regardless of luck. Realizing her mistake, she let out a half-scream.

“No! Th-that’s not it! Anyway, I-I-I’m leaving! Good luck!”

With a voice that cracked at the end, Sodin vanished like a bolt of lightning via teleportation.

Immediately after, the guards who heard her scream poked their heads out from various points atop the castle walls.

“What was that!?”

“Intruder! There’s an intruder!!”

“Assemble!”

I let out a hollow laugh at the sight.

I mean, this defeats the whole purpose of sneaking in quietly.

“Well, whatever. Actually, this might be even better.”

I wiped the soft sensation lingering on my lips with the back of my hand, then raised my foot and kicked the main castle gate with all my might.

BOOOOOOOOM!!

Crash! Clatter!!

With a single strike, the massive castle gates were ripped from their hinges and sent flying.

Wow. The power is on a completely different level than before. That felt refreshing.

Then, looking at the terrified guards rushing toward me, I swung my sword toward the wall next to the gate.

Shing!

The castle wall, sliced diagonally, slid down as if by magic before collapsing with a thunderous Rumble!

The guards froze in place, horrified by the nonsensical sight.

I smirked at them and shouted at the top of my lungs.

“COUNT! COME OUT HERE!!!”

“Y-you crazy bastard!”

“Watch out! He’s a monster who kicked the gate away and split the wall with one swing!”

“Surround him! Don’t just rush in, surround him!!”

“Don’t think about killing him, just hold out! The Silver Sword Knights will be here in two minutes!”

“Formation! Get in formation! Shieldmen to the front! Spearmen and Swordsmen! Maintain the line! Archers, aim but do not fire!”

I waited for the real deal to show up instead of messing with the guards, whose strongest members were merely mana users.

After the standoff lasted for about three minutes, the sound of rhythmic thumping finally echoed from inside the castle, and a group of knights in shimmering armor came pouring out.

“They’re here!”

“I-it’s the Silver Sword Knights!”

Oh… finally, some opponents worth swinging a sword at.