The Swordmaster Who Returned After 1,000 Years-Chapter 144

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 144

“In the Sanctuary?”

—Yeah. The Spirit King of Wind is there, isn’t he?

“What… The Spirit King? Is that real?”

—Wouldn’t the Saintess know better?

At the observer’s words, the Saintess’s face turned pale.

“H-How… do you know that?”

It was one thing for the observer of the Demon Realm’s colony to understand the affairs of the Middle World.

But to know about the hidden circumstances of the Sanctuary?

‘There’s no way she mentioned the Spirit King for no reason… Does the Demon Realm really know everything about the Sanctuary?’

As Theresia’s wariness grew, Ederna burst into laughter.

—Did you really think the observatory had eyes inside the Sanctuary? Too bad, that’s not the case. This information came from the angels.

“The angels…? That’s impossible. There’s no way the angels would leak information to demons!”

—That’s just your misconception. There are ways.

Ederna spoke ominously, then ended the conversation.

—Well, figure out the rest on your own. I’m leaving.

“Really? No price for this? You’re just giving away high-grade information and leaving?”

—A price? Stay alive. That’s the price.

What was there to gain from a mere human in a colony?

As long as this information could be used to keep that disgusting Demon King in check, that was enough.

—If there’s an issue, contact me again.

With that, Ederna’s voice faded away.

‘Living long enough, you see all sorts of things.’

To think he would receive help from a demon without any cost.

Of course, she had her own motives, but…

For now, Kaylen decided to accept the information without rejecting it and put it to good use.

“Theresia. Is the Spirit King really in the Sanctuary?”

Theresia took a moment to scan the sky above her.

“Divine Shield.”

She cast divine protection magic stronger than ever before.

An attempt to evade the eyes of the Demon Realm’s observer.

“Divine Shield.”

After layering multiple protection spells, she finally approached Kaylen and whispered cautiously.

“Yes. The Spirit King resides in the Sanctuary. He continuously keeps it afloat by converting the power from the sacred relic.”

“I see.”

Kaylen nodded.

He had already considered the Sanctuary as a potential target for conquest in the future.

This was useful information.

The forces sent to the Middle World, aside from Theresia, weren’t particularly valuable.

But it seemed there was still a hidden card to play.

“Is there a way to obtain Wind Mana from the Spirit King?”

“Wind Mana?”

“I need it to complete my Wind Sword.”

“I can ask… but it will be difficult. The Spirit King doesn’t have that kind of luxury.”

Theresia’s response was negative.

“Besides, even if the Spirit King were to help… he might ask you to return the Holy Sword. Would you be willing to do that?”

“That’s not an option.”

“As expected, right?”

No matter how important Wind Mana was, it wasn’t worth giving up the Holy Sword.

“Still, considering the gravity of the situation… I’ll bring it up to His Holiness. This incident has been shocking for us as well.”

“Yeah. I thought the Sanctuary had complete control over the Dungeon Guild in human territory, but it turns out they were being completely toyed with.”

“Yes. We should probably inspect the other Dungeon Guilds as well.”

Theresia began preparing to leave for the Sanctuary to report to the Holy Pope.

Watching her, Kaylen suddenly thought of something and asked,

“Theresia.”

“Yes?”

“Has the Holy Pope also lived for a thousand years like you? In the Sanctuary?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then the Holy Pope of the Sanctuary must be Benedict.”

At Kaylen’s blunt statement, Theresia nodded slightly, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

“Yes… Lord Kaylen. But as a Saintess, hearing His Holiness’s real name spoken so casually is a bit…”

“What does it matter? I’ve always been like this.”

The Holy Pope of the Holy See.

The representative of the Celestial Gods and the supreme leader of the Holy See.

No one could surpass the Holy Pope’s authority.

At least, not before Ernstine unified the continent.

“I guess I’ll have to find Wind Mana somewhere else.”

“Huh…?”

“Benedict doesn’t like me, does he?”

Theresia didn’t answer, but she gave a faint nod.

Holy Pope Benedict.

Among the past Holy Popes, he was considered one of the most outstanding.

Yet he was also the unfortunate Holy Pope who was completely overshadowed by Emperor Ernstine of the Unified Empire.

In terms of authority, he couldn’t surpass Emperor Ernstine, who had unified the continent.

And in terms of accomplishments within the church, he couldn’t outshine Ernstine, the hero who had slain the Demon King.

Despite his undeniable talents as a Holy Pope,

his authority and achievements were both stripped away by Ernstine.

Benedict always welcomed Ernstine with a smile,

but Kaylen had noticed, even back when he was Emperor, the jealousy hidden behind that smile.

‘That’s why I assumed he declared the Meier Empire as heretics.’

Before learning about the Helmeier lineage, he had been convinced that the Holy Pope’s personal resentment played a role in the decision.

‘I shouldn’t expect anything from that side.’

As long as Holy Pope Benedict remained in power, receiving his help wouldn’t be easy.

Even if he did agree, the price might be even greater than the gain.

“Still, I will speak to His Holiness. This isn’t a situation where personal feelings should interfere.”

“Alright.”

Without much expectation, Kaylen let the Saintess leave.

At the heart of the Sanctuary stood the Holy Pope’s audience chamber.

Among all the structures within the Sanctuary, it was known for being the smallest and most unremarkable.

This was because when the Holy See took refuge in the Sanctuary,

the Holy Pope, feeling deeply responsible for the situation,

had ordered that every place he resided in be made the smallest and most modest in the Sanctuary.

Since then, the Holy Pope had rarely shown himself in public.

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Instead, Theresia handled most external affairs.

As a result, most within the Sanctuary believed that the Saintess was its true leader.

But that was only how things appeared on the surface.

Those who knew the deep inner workings of the Sanctuary were all well aware.

The Holy Pope’s authority was more solid and irreplaceable than ever.

“...I see. Theresia.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

In the narrow audience chamber, a man spoke in a languid voice to the kneeling Saintess.

A man with long, flowing white hair.

His frame was small, and his delicate features gave him a somewhat feminine appearance,

but his voice, in contrast, was heavy and deep.

“Ernstine, that bastard… still as shameless as ever. After stealing the Holy Sword, now he wants Wind Mana too?”

“Um, Your Holiness. Lord Ernstine did not steal the Holy Sword—”

“Saintess. You sure have no problem taking his side in front of me.”

Benedict, sitting on a crude wooden chair in the cramped audience chamber, twisted a strand of his hair between his fingers.

“…I apologize.”

“Do you still have feelings for that bastard?”

“W-What are you saying? It’s nothing like that!”

“That bastard has hundreds of concubines, you know? And here you are, a Saintess, fawning over a married man, completely losing your senses. Tsk, tsk.”

“I-It’s just admiration… because he’s a Hero…”

“You think you can fool me? You’ve lived a thousand years—act your age. You’re not some naive little girl. Tsk, tsk.”

As the Holy Pope clicked his tongue repeatedly, Theresia abruptly stood up.

“Your Holiness! I understand your will. I will inform Lord Ernstine of your refusal.”

“Who said that?”

“…What?”

“Me disliking that bastard and this matter are two different things.”

Benedict pulled a single strand of black hair from his head of white.

“I can’t give away the Spirit King’s power. It’s necessary to maintain the Sanctuary.”

“That’s… true.”

“But, what he actually needs is Wind Mana, right?”

“I will tell you the location of the S-Class Mana Suit, Stormwind.”

“Ah!”

Theresia let out a gasp and nodded.

The S-Class Wind Mana Suit—Stormwind.

The power contained within it would surely be enough to provide Kaylen with the Wind Mana he sought.

“But… the location is…?”

“I’ll tell you after I pray to the Celestial Gods. In the meantime, handle Sanctuary affairs for a while. Stop running off to Meier all the time.”

“A-Alright, Your Holiness.”

She had completed her task, yet she still felt unfairly treated.

But the Holy Pope paid no mind and continued speaking.

“Theresia. As your Holy Pope, I’m giving you some serious advice. How old are you?”

“Why are you bringing up age here?”

“You’re a thousand-year-old hag. But you look like a child. Ernstine’s tastes are the complete opposite of that. Do you really think anything will change just because you hover around him? Wake up and get back to work. Tsk, tsk.”

“Ugh, seriously! Your Holiness! That’s too much! Who works harder than I do?!”

“That’s exactly why I feel bad for you. Tsk, tsk.”

“And how would Your Holiness even know Lord Ernstine’s preferences?!”

“The Holy Pope knows everything.”

With that, Holy Pope Benedict waved his hand dismissively, signaling for her to leave.

Theresia departed.

Tuk.

Benedict plucked a single strand of black hair from his head of white and let out a smirk.

“Well, of course. The Holy Pope must know everything… at least when it comes to him.”

The Grand Conference Hall of Meier’s Royal Castle.

After hearing Kaylen’s report on the Geysir Empire, the gathered officials voiced their concerns.

“For their military strength to be that formidable…”

“No, it’s not just their strength. That place… it hardly seems like a human nation.”

“Agreed. We should consider them a direct dominion under the demons’ rule.”

A Black Dragon, on top of wielding the Dragon Tongue.

A nation ruled directly or indirectly by the Helmeier bloodline.

Even with Meier Kingdom’s rapid growth over the past year, they were still a formidable enemy.

‘The only thing we can rely on is His Majesty…’

‘And he said they have a Black Dragon…’

Over the past year, they had all witnessed firsthand the overwhelming power of King Kaylen.

But what if the Black Dragon neutralized his strength?

In a full-scale battle, Meier Kingdom would be at a massive disadvantage.

‘Just when the world was finally becoming livable again…’

‘The heavens are truly merciless!’

Meier Kingdom’s growth in the past year had been nothing short of dazzling.

The mana suits developed at the Myorn Workshop continued to improve, to the point where knights equipped with them could now dismantle dungeon cores without needing mages.

The Demon-Hunters no longer required spellcasters to function effectively.

With their increased strength, the pace of dungeon portal subjugations had skyrocketed.

Now, any dungeon portals that appeared in the capital region were eradicated almost instantly.

The Demon-Hunters now outnumbered the portals themselves.

Some of the newer divisions even ventured beyond the capital for expeditions.

What once threatened human survival—the dungeon portals—had now become a valuable resource supply.

If this continued for another five or ten years, not only would Meier Kingdom reclaim all of its former lands, but its influence could even expand beyond its borders.

Yet now, with the sudden emergence of this empire, survival itself was at stake, let alone progress.

As Kaylen observed his gathered officials, lamenting and seething at the situation, he finally spoke, his voice steady.

“For now, we’ll start by eliminating Geysir’s vanguard. According to our intel, they have a Drake Division.”

Using Ederna’s information, Kaylen began planning the operation.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will begin assembling the troops.”

“No. Mobilizing a large force will only make them easy prey for the drakes. Only the Royal Guard will go.”

Truthfully, he felt most comfortable going alone.

But the Royal Guard needed real battle experience in their Combine Suits.

‘I can’t be the only one holding back the tide forever.’

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]