Chapter 16

Muffled voices.

A raucous procession.

They were all travellers going into and out of Tristar.

"What's all this about?"

"I think there's an apostate here somewhere. Those are the Heretic Inquisitors from the Valtherus Church."

A pattern of crossed red double swords.

It was the symbol of the Heretic Inquisitors.

"They're doing interrogations at the checkpoint to find the apostate?"

"Hey, these crazy bastards. If we don't hurry and cross the mountains quickly, we'll fall behind and have to camp out in the open, but these bastards are really being meticulous!!"

"I mean, shouldn't the Heretic Inquisitors be able to root out the apostates just by looking at their divine power?"

"No wonder we keep getting beaten up by the Empire."

"You there, keep it quiet!"

When the soldiers shouted this, the voices quickly reduced to whispers.

"Master, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, shut up, Bruns."

"Yeah."

The Inquisitor asked, pointing to the man in the hood.

"Wait, you there. ID?"

"Here."

The Inquisitor checked the ID, turning it front and back.

"Take that hood off for a moment."

"Why are you asking him to take his hood off? Master doesn't like to show his face!"

"One of the traits of the apostate is his eyes. He has gray eyes, which are rare, so take the hood off."

"No, but this gentleman...!"

"Calm down, Bruns. It's fine to take it off."

Saaaa.

As the hood was pulled back, a handsome man with clear features and black eyes appeared.

"Hmm... you have good eyes."

The black eyes sparkled exceptionally.

"They're hereditary."

"Hmm, pass!"

Callius put his hood back on and passed the Inquisitor.

After a while -

Callius stopped in the woods heading North through the wide plains of Tristar, and reached out to Bruns.

"Here you go."

"Hmm."

When Bruns handed him a small container, he opened it, and touched his eyeballs with his hand to pluck some things out, which were put into the container.

"Are you alright?"

"My eyes feel stiff. It doesn't look like you can wear these for a long time."

There were two lenses in the box.

It was a pair of black lenses made of glass, made by special order to Dexter.

'You can't do this twice.'

In the Middle Ages, it was said that the lenses used to be made of glass, so I had these made. But it was more painful than I'd thought.

In this era, the concept of advanced components such as silicone was not well-known, so only glass lenses were available.

At least this was possible because Callius' physical abilities were superior to ordinary people.

If an average criminal had used such a thing, the cornea would have been injured in no time.

"Let's go. We have a busy road ahead."

"Yeah!"

That was then -

"It really was you."

A voice cold as frost. A strange presence attacked Callius.

He immediately drew Arsando.

Chaeeng!!

'Keuk.'

Kkikig! Kkikikigig!!

Sparks flew as one sword struck another.

The bushes shook, and the periwinkle hair of his enemy fluttered in his front.

"Even if you deceived that extremist Inquisitor, you cannot deceive my eyes that know your face. The Cloak of Twilight. That was you, too."

"... Esther Sol Ciliad."

The next Paladin.

A genius among geniuses who was referred to as the next Saint. A woman who could not but be praised for her swordsmanship, divine power, beauty and grace.

Esther.

Her water-coloured hair shined softly in the light as if she was an apostle sent down by the God Valtherus Himself. Her eyes were blue, dark as if they contained all the depths of an ocean.

"Your voice. Your face. And your gaze too. I've never forgotten."

"It's such an honour for the next Saint to say that."

At first glance, her words sounded like a hymn of love, but that wasn't the atmosphere at all.

I don't know why she's glaring like I'm her ancestral enemy.

Does she have a grudge against Callius, one that I don't know about?

I don't know.

That's one part that I don't know.

This is a part that hasn't been set at all.

So, it's even more confusing.

"Three years ago, I told you. Pilgrim Callius."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you forget? Then I'll tell you again."

Esther's sword pointed down.

She fixed her posture.

She lowered the sword she was holding with both hands at an angle.

"I made it clear at the time. If I come across you as a Pilgrim, on my pilgrimage."

- I will definitely kill you.

"I, Pilgrim Esther. I challenge Pilgrim Callius to a sword duel."

The duel won't end until someone died and turned into the opponent's sword.

"Pilgrim Callius. Please, don't die easily. I've been looking forward to this moment for so long!"

Shhik!

Esther disappeared with the sound of a sharp wind.

'Fast.'

Saaak!

Her sword flew through the spot where Callius's neck was a moment before.

Fast.

And gorgeous.

Her sword was like that.

It was quick and accurate.

At first, she approached so quickly that he didn't even notice she was approaching, and in an instant she drew her sword and cut.

Suu.

She cut two or three times in the fleeting moment it would take somebody else to swing once.

Quick sword. It was a quick sword that was hard to follow or chase after.

Chaeeng! Chwaak!

Kugugung! Quang!

Bruns ran into the woods and couldn't figure out what was going on.

He hid among the bushes and peered through the trees to see the fierce battle between Callius and Esther.

Sparks fluttered between the sword strikes that were too fast to be seen, and trees were cut down and collapsed in instants.

Gulp.

This was a true fight between Pilgrims.

"It's not the time to be thrilled. Ah, but there's no way for me to help master."

All he could do was watch from afar.

Chaeeng!!

'The power is getting worse again.'

It wasn't just speed.

Her power was equally strong.

The quality of divine power was also high.

Perhaps it was because he had observed the divine power contained in the sacred stone, so her level could be captured at a glance.

Her divine power was level 3.

No, it would soon become level 2.

The purity of the divine power was exceptional.

"It's only been three years and you've reached this level. That's great."

"You were a person who knew how to grow, too. I didn't expect you to receive my sword this far."

"Because time is fair to everyone."

He was doing his best, but his right hand holding the sword still trembled.

'If it wasn't for the glove I got from Dexter, my hands would have exploded already.'

Because her sword was fast and heavy.

Nimble movements. And the calmness of divine power that suited her.

All in all, her heightened physical abilities and unique quick sword gave the illusion that many swords were flying in from all directions.

As if -

It felt like being in the middle of a torrential rain.

You try to avoid it, but you can't.

The more you try to catch it at one place, the faster it comes to stab from another place.

"Hou -"

Dozens of shallow sword cuts had appeared on his arms and legs during that brief exchange.

"Is this because of the Cloak?"

"Of course. Of course, it's something I've been looking for, but I'm not doing something like this just because of that."

"Then why?"

"... Don't you remember?"

"I don't. I forgot everything in my past."

She lowered her sword and slowly closed her eyelids.

His long eyelashes were trembling, but she looked quite pissed off.

"You are a genius at making people angry."

"What did I do to you?"

"What you did. What you did!! No one else knows, and even you don't remember, so it's like you never did anything at all, right!!"

She spat out in fervid anger without any concrete answer.

Esther was definitely not supposed to be like that.

She never got very angry, nor sad. She was cold and rigid.

A woman who was merciless to demons and beasts, but kind to children.

That was Esther Sol Ciliad.

"Hmm......."

I honestly don't know.

I know Callius this bastard probably didn't sit still in the Church, but I don't know if he did anything to Esther.

'Could he really have done something? To Esther.'

Just when I was about to start thinking.

Esther's mouth opened.

"You approached me at first, but after that you found out that I wasn't from a noble family and treated me badly."

"Uh..."

"And for some reason you began to despise me and even torment the commoner-born monks around me."

"Uh... is that so."

"Not only that!! You asked me to practice swordsmanship with you, and after you were defeated, you did all sorts of absurd things!"

They were frivolous things like putting in nails in Esther's wooden sword's handle, and putting needles in her shoes.

Forming a group with aristocrats, he harassed the commoners and punished anyone who spoke to Esther.

That's what he did.

"I've been apologizing to you all along. I did it even though I didn't do anything wrong. But you bothered me even more."

"Um... I see..."

"I will kill you. Your very existence is evil. You are no different from monsters."

"Is that so..."

I have nothing to say.

I mean, those things were definitely not things I did, but now that it has come to this, what can I say?

Even if I have ten mouths, there is nothing to say.

'Callius, is this guy crazy? I don't know about the others, but even Esther... ...'

But I think I knew why.

As soon as he saw Esther, the heart of Callius must have fluttered like a fish jumping out of the water.

He, probably -

'You must have liked Esther.'

There were few who didn't like her. Because she was beautiful and strong.

Strong enough to be referred to as the next Paladin, and kind enough to be referred to as the next Saint.

She was like a sharpened sword right now, but as time passes and she bridges the gap between life and death many times, she gradually acquires the character of a Saint.

So Callius must have liked Esther too.

He was also human. If he hadn't been interested, he wouldn't have bothered her that much.

He had a crush on her, fell in love with her, but it seemed that her not being from a noble family was somehow unacceptable.

'So it must have been.'

In the first place, he had the trait of "the Prodigal Son of the Church." There wasn't a woman he hadn't pursued.

Silly Callius.

But now that's me.

"Why did you do that?"

She changed the foot she was stepping on.

Quickly, her sword pierced through.

I raised Arsando.

Her sword committed -

But at that moment, the trajectory twisted.

Kkigigigig!

Her sword slid up the flat of Arsando's blade.

Seuk.

As I tilted my head back, a clear deep line was drawn on the nape of my neck.

Julug.

Drops of blood formed along that line.

And in the moment they started flowing -

Poeok!

"Keuk!"

Her kick pierced my stomach like a crossbow through my neglected guard.

Kuung!

Shheich!

A stab came in once again.

It was aiming for my head.

Damn it!

"Your eyes are better than before. You dodge my sword quite well."

I bowed my head to avoid the sword.

Esther's sword pierced the tree behind me.

"Is this also the power of the holy relic?"

"Did you come to find the relic too?"

"My job is to find the relic."

"And killing me?"

"That's private."

"What the."

Laughter flowed out.

It was a situation where I had no choice but to be nervous, but even though death was close at hand, strangely I laughed.

"What's funny?"

"It's just funny. It's funny that you're standing now front of me, and I can't believe that you came to kill me."

"It's no joke."

"Yeah, I guess. Hou -"

Callius sighed heavily and looked into Esther's eyes.

"There are no relics. If I had such a thing, I wouldn't have needed to groan like this."

"Is that so."

"Yeah. The miracle of the holy relic that the Church could not find in the first place is not something like this."

"... I thought so."

"Do you believe me?"

"At least as far as I know, you were proud of yourself as a nobleman. A nobleman who did not lie, although he did utter rude remarks."

Thank you for believing in me like that.

"It's a pity that there are no holy relics."

"You're still going to kill me."

"Yes, because that's what I decided to do."

So, kill me.

Simple and clear.

Well, according to her, she had been bullied since she became a nun, so how long had it been?

That's good enough of a reason.

Callius must have had been arrogant in front of her, flaunting his status as an aristocrat, since he couldn't compete with her in swordsmanship.

I'd want to kill me too.

But I can't die.

I can't die so easily.

"It would have been an honour to die at your hand."

"Is that so."

"But I can't die yet."

"It's not up to you to decide."

Her drawn sword was directed at my neck.

"It's up to me to decide."

Soon, her sword swung.

Before my neck fell -

I untied the bracelet.

Click.

Then with the divine power that was bound in it -

[Talent, <Four Verse Composition (Die Not Before the Hour) - Enlightenment of the Dying> is activated.]

Four Verse Composition. A unique characteristic of Callius.

It was triggered by Esther's sword, only possible when he truly realized that death was here for him.

Divine power overflowing like a broken dam.

And the characteristic enlightenment.

Everything harmonized.

The amount of divine power in the Elixir Field increased. But it was actually not as big as it used to be. Bit by bit, one by one, it was compressed.

Slowly and densely, it was refined. Now it sat firmly and took shape.

Silver buds stacked in layers.

Seuk. Callius' gray eyes gleamed with silver.

<Six Peak Flowers Bloom in Late Season has reached the first layer.>

[Six Peak Flowers Bloom in Late Season]

Grade - Unique.

Achievement - First Layer.

The divine power of Esther's sword.

The streams of divine power that were nestled within her sword were clearly visible.

"Bloom."

Kaaaang!!

There was a sharp and keening sound of iron.

Esther's sword bounced off.

Her eyes were shaking.

Her swordsmanship was broken.

Light burst from the explosion fell around them like petals.

A swordsmanship that breaks the opponent's swordsmanship using their own divine power against them.

Its name was given because it was as beautiful as silver petals.

"Silver Flower Wave Sword[1]..."

Editor's Notes:

[1] 은화파검 (銀花破劍) is being translated as Silver Flower Wave Sword.