377 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 377 "It was a flawless calculation. As you saw initially, the barriers were completely neutralized." "Then why all of a sudden?!!" Bang! A rare sight of the usually composed Sword Master losing his temper. The Mage of the Windstorm, Galen, glanced at the shattered table, swallowed a sigh, and bowed his head. "......I'm not sure. But the timing is certain. It started right after that woman, the Saint, reappeared." "Are you suggesting it's all because of the Saint's power?" "......I can't be certain." It was indeed an uncommon spectacle to see the arrogant Mage of the Windstorm acting deferentially, but no one in the room could bring themselves to laugh at the sight. The war, which seemed decisively in their favor, had unexpectedly come to a halt. "So, are you saying that unless we endure the fanatical outbursts of those zealots and accumulate losses, we won't be able to conquer the Holy Nation?" "......That's the worst-case scenario. However, it's unlikely that the Saint will be able to perform such a miracle again." "What's your evidence?" "Our spy within the Holy Nation confirmed that the Sacred Judge, Sententia, has lost her light. It seems the miracles were achieved by temporarily depleting the power of a holy relic." "The relics of the Nine Gods? Are you suggesting there might be eight more left in the Holy Nation?" "No. Three are being used to maintain the Great Celestial Barrier, said to be the strongest sacred enchantment on earth. The other five are scattered across the continent for unknown reasons, making it difficult even for the church to move them freely." "Why are you telling me this now! We should resume the war immediately!" "......To minimize losses, we must wait for resources to supply the Dispelling Magic Circle." "What if the Divine Sword awakens in the meantime!?" "Calm yourself, Your Excellency. Even within the barrier, it's impossible for that to happen and you know it well." Tris managed to suppress his excitement at Galen's words. Indeed. The residue left by another's aura leaves a substantial aftereffect, making it hard even for an aura user to overcome. The more intense the battle, the greater the aftermath. 'Even for me, it would take around ten days to restore the minimum ability to use my aura.' Especially for the Divine Sword, who was on the brink of death, returning to the battlefield quickly wouldn't be possible, even with a surge of divine power. However, Tris couldn't shake the odd impression left by the Saint's unusual appearance. "‘That’ was really a human?" "Excuse me?" "No, it's nothing. Just a feeling." That figure, the Saint, didn't seem human, but it was certain the Divine Sword was. Regardless of how formidable sacred magic was, recovery within one or two weeks seemed utterly impossible. Thus. "……You're right. I was overly excited. The momentum remains firmly in our favor, so we'll bide our time." "Yes. As you know, simply keeping the Holy Nation surrounded should eventually lead to their downfall. It will take time, given the wealth they’ve accumulated, but eventually—" "No, that's not—" "Oh, of course, I understand. We can't give the Divine Sword, the Saint, or other key figures time to escape or saboteurs to cause trouble. But ten days, ten days will be enough. As soon as the magic circle is ready to operate again, we'll conquer the Holy Nation." "Ten days, you say." It's also the expected time for me to recover the minimal capabilities. Moreover, it's too short a time for the Divine Sword to heal. "Fine. In ten days, we end the war with the Holy Nation." Tris nodded, suppressing the uneasy feeling born from the actions of the Saint. However, just a week later, an unexpected variable that would bring about great turmoil secretly infiltrated their encirclement and entered Nobience, catching them all by surprise. * * * "So, you are the ones sent by His Excellency Logan. It's a pleasure to meet you." Ilya, with a pale complexion, frowned slightly and bowed her head. A handsome man with brown hair and eyes stepped forward. "It is an honor to meet Your Holiness. I am Aran from MacLine." A smooth, neutral tone. But due to his youth, it was hard to believe he was a superhuman. Ilya narrowed her eyes, shaking her head briefly as if feeling lightheaded. Then she smiled warmly at Aran. "It’s been a while, my Queen. I never expected you to come, let alone as an aura user." "Uh!?" Aran—or rather, Eilen—let out a yelp before she could stop herself. With a smiling face, Ilya carefully scanned the other members of the group, all with similar brown hair and eyes. "Sir Victor, it's been a long time. I caused too much trouble last time. Miss Ria, it’s been a while since our charity work in the slums. Already a mage, how remarkable." "!?" "Gasp!?" "And those red eyes belong to Count Ronian, I presume. It's an honor to meet you. I've heard much about you from Sir Victor and His Majesty. There’s one person I don't recognize, but you must also be an aura user... MacLine certainly has many talents. I look forward to working with you." As Ilya made eye contact, the expressions of the group members stiffened like stone. "H-how did you...?" "I told you not to all use brown. We should choose different colors...” "That's not the issue, Ronny." Eilen, silencing Ronian with a single word, bit her lip and gazed at Ilya. It wasn’t just about them being recognized. Being exposed so easily suggested their mission could fundamentally fail. "Do high-ranking clerics possess magical insight? That would make our activities difficult." Their presence here was to discreetly aid the Holy Nation against the Empire. With spies potentially lurking, having their identities exposed was the worst-case scenario. It could lead to an unexpected eruption of conflict between the Empire and MacLine. "Oh, my apologies. I'm an anomaly. You need not worry." "Excuse me?" "You're maintaining and enhancing your appearance with Ria's transformation artifact magic. The mana concealment is well-executed, and it's a good method that won't malfunction, whether with the artifact or Ria herself... Ah, even this might be overstepping, isn't it?" Ilya's continued remarks caused the group's expressions, especially Victoria's, to noticeably stiffen. "How did you know that...?" "Well, it's just that, after becoming the Pope, I've been granted a blessing from the gods. I'm sorry, Ria. Fortunately, I'm the only one with this ability, so you don't need to worry too much." Despite Ilya's apology, the group didn't seem any less troubled. 'At least we're lucky that it's just the Saint here.' Eilen had traveled frantically on little sleep, and things seemed to be going awry from the moment of their arrival. "You must keep our secret. If even one of us is exposed, we’ll have to leave the Holy City immediately." "Yes, Your Queen. I'll bear that in mind." "That title..." "Oh, yes. I keep making mistakes. I won't forget, Aran." Sigh. As much as she inwardly sighed, turning back wasn't an option now. 'Could the Saint really see through Ria's magic? Is that something a Saint can do?' When Eilen glanced back, she saw Victoria struggling to mask her surprise. – This magic was supposed to be undetectable unless a very perceptive aura user or mage closely examined it. Having that supposedly foolproof spell instantly seen through would naturally alarm her. Perceiving the group's unease, Ilya stood up and bowed her head. "I'm really, truly sorry. I've been under a lot of stress lately, and seeing so many familiar faces made me too talkative. I apologize for upsetting you with my hasty words." That's not the issue here. Everyone shared the same thought, but at least her genuine apology quelled some of their confusion. More importantly, before being lauded as the Saint of the Order, she was revered as the Saint of the slums in Gran. None of them were unaware of the weight behind her name. 'The Saint wouldn't purposefully wrong us.' Eilen dismissed her troubled thoughts with a deep breath, adopting a cordial tone once more. "......No need to apologize, Saint. We hope that our presence here will benefit both nations." "Of course. Just having you here is very reassuring." A genuine smile spread across Ilya's previously pale face. The group, starting to relax, followed suit with their own smiles. As the atmosphere lightened, Ilya expressed admiration for the kingdom they hailed from. "But MacLine is truly impressive. How could any nation hide five beings of superhuman caliber? I initially thought His Majesty Logan was joking." It was an understandable sentiment. Any typical nation would flaunt such power to showcase its national strength or to enhance its deterrence capabilities—unless their opponent was the Empire. Thus, her question was only natural. "Did MacLine anticipate the Empire would start a war?" Eilen nodded lightly. "Yes. My husband predicted it after returning from the Empire. He said the Emperor was a greedy individual, unlikely to maintain a peace policy." "You prepared all this just from that one remark? That you would forgo your superhuman honor to take on such a challenging path?" "We all owe our success to my husband." There was no hesitation in Eilen's response. Even Burdel, the one with the weakest link to Logan, wouldn't have become a superhuman if he'd continued merely as a beast hunter. At least, that was her belief. "So those graced by His Majesty Logan have grown to become such remarkable figures. His Majesty Logan indeed has a keen eye for talent." "It was just chance. Becoming superhuman isn’t something that can be achieved just because one wishes for it. It's simply that my husband is blessed with an abundance of luck." "I see. The way talent naturally gravitates towards His Majesty Logan is impressive... truly..." If there was a peculiar undertone in Ilya's words, was it merely an illusion? Feeling the conversation spiraling into something strange, Eilen tilted her head. 'Why am I having such a conversation?' Stripping away the courtesies born of personal relationships, it was akin to interrogating an ally during wartime. And it seemed she wasn't the only one feeling this. "......Saint, is there something specific you'd like to ask us?" Ronian, stepping forward with a somewhat stiff expression, posed the question. Ilya waved her hands and shook her head. "No, no. I've just had too many unnecessary thoughts lately and... Uh, oh." "Saint!?" Mid-sentence, Ilya clutched her head and sank to the floor. Everyone stood in stunned silence at the bewildering situation, except Victor, who had been watching her closely, immediately rushed forward. "Uh, oof. Even though the Judge has lost her power... Why...?" "Saint!" Victor supported the mumbling Ilya, helping her to stand. "Are you all right, Saint?" "If I ask about His Majesty Logan, you don't have to respond. No, don't answer!!" Ilya’s voice, now trembling in agitation, ended in a near-shout. Her complexion was even paler than upon their first meeting. The abrupt cries ushered in by the cryptic conversation. As the group, bewildered, stared at her. Bang! "What’s the matter, Your Holiness!" "You! What have you done to Her Holiness?" The office doors flew open as the Holy Knights stormed in. But it was Ilya herself who held them at bay. "No, no, it's nothing. I just haven't been sleeping well... Please introduce these guests to Commander Harmon. They will be of great help to us right now." Her voice had regained a calm steadiness, but was it just an illusion that she seemed to grow paler with each word? "Yes, Your Holiness!" "Understood." The startled Holy Knights quickly composed themselves and obeyed her command. However, the group was still left in a state of confusion. "Saint, what exactly...?" As they looked at her with bewilderment, Ilya bit her lip, seemingly having made up her mind about something. "Sir Victor, can you stay behind for a moment? I have a personal request to make." "Pardon?" Surprised, Victor glanced reflexively at Eilen, but Ilya continued with a wavering voice. "It's just to prepare for the worst-case scenario, though it's hopefully unnecessary. If there ever comes a time when I'm no longer myself..." "Saint, what are you talking about...?" Victor, looking perplexed, exchanged a glance with Eilen, who knew of the bond between the two. Despite her curiosity, she nodded, granting him the time to have a private discussion.