Chapter 83
After the battle. I returned to the village and entered the wizard’s house, gathering the main characters in the village.
Lucius. Rosmas.
Black Lotus. Knight Rapid.
And Liriez.
There was no need for me to mention the villagers specifically, as I drove them away, fearing that knowing might cause the village to suffer even more.
“No, we have the right to know!”
“I’ll listen and let you know!”
“No, no matter how much of a knight you are, we are the residents of this village!”
“I am the knight managing your village! Count Odrone appointed me as the knight of this place!”
“A-ah.”
“I’ll listen and judge, so you all wait patiently!”
While some expressed dissatisfaction, thanks to Knight Rapid revealing his identity as the knight of Count Odrone, they were easily pacified.
And now.
The ten pairs of questioning eyes were naturally demanding an explanation from me, and I felt obligated to respond to their questions.
So, I explained.
“In the beginning…”
“Master.”
“Alright, alright.”
I was too focused, intending to tease them, but Lucius stopped me right away.
It’s a pity, but there will be other opportunities, so the story about the origin of the world…
‘Aren’t I going to have to do it anyway?’
If I wanted to talk about Spirit Devices, there’s no avoiding it. However, starting with that right away would give me a headache, so I decided to gradually build the credibility of the story.
“First, let me introduce myself properly. Hello, everyone. I am ‘Sorceress of Crimson Lotus’ Bel. Five hundred years ago, I helped the heroes awaken the Holy Sword and fought the Demon King.”
“The Demon King…?”
“I have no issue with calling out names, but others seem a bit hesitant. Is that okay?”
“It’s fine.”
Lucius defended me.
“Master, you ultimately defeated that Demon King, right?”
“Well, discussing that is a bit… Anyway, I’m a sorceress who diligently moved to defeat Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor.”
As soon as they heard the name Bel Phegor, everyone’s expressions stiffened. Even Lucius, who suggested I speak, gulped audibly.
‘How scary must that being have sounded from when they were young?’
The level of fear about Bel Phegor was palpable. If I were a demon race that lived off fear, I would have probably regained my power the moment I set foot in the Intermediate Realm.
“Well… since it seems you all are a bit hesitant, I’ll refer to him as ‘the Great Demon King.’ The Great Demon King was defeated by a hero 500 years ago. The Holy Sword that defeated the Great Demon King was the Holy Wind Sword, but in my ‘final’ party, there was a hero wielding the Holy Wind Sword, and I know well about other heroes’ Holy Swords as well.”
“That is….”
“I am the guide who awakened the power of those Holy Swords. I can lead the true power that the Holy Swords possess through their wielders. So, I guided the heroes to fight the Great Demon King 500 years ago.”
That’s a lie.
Bel has no connection to the other Holy Swords. If she did, it would only be after I claimed all the other Holy Swords besides the Holy Wind Sword and explained each as a trophy.
Bel does not exist in this world. The only truth is that Sorceress Bel heard about the Holy Swords from the Demon King.
“I sealed myself after the Great Demon King was defeated 500 years ago. If the Demon King’s magic were to re-emerge, or if the Demon King himself were to return, I would awaken from my seal.”
“That means… the Demon King has been resurrected?”
“Who knows? I’m currently investigating.”
Asydia.
“The most likely possibility is that the remnants of the Demon King’s army, Asydia, has called the Demon King back. I don’t know if they believe that summoning just the Demon King will restore the demon race to power in the Intermediate Realm, but I sensed traces of the Demon King and came out of my seal.”
“Then does that mean the Village of the Holy Sword…?”
“Knight Rapid, can you handle it?”
“Pardon?”
“The villagers were chased away because they wouldn’t be able to handle the truth when they heard it. But you’re different. No, you might already know…”
“…I don’t know the details, but I have a rough idea. But guessing and knowing the truth are two different things, aren’t they?”
“So what’s your guess?”
“Sir Lucius is the hero wielding the Holy Wind Sword.”
“Correct.”
As I turned my gaze toward Black Lotus, she looked shocked as she stared at Rapid.
‘Pass.’
That’s something you just can’t achieve through acting. It’s as if her eyes are saying, ‘How did you know that?’
Can you read someone’s heart just by their gaze? Only I can.
“I was pretending not to know to avoid troublesome matters.”
“But now you know. Since you’ve seen it with your own eyes, you’ll have to report it as well.”
Now to the crux of the matter.
“What it’s called is ‘Spirit Device.’ It’s a vessel that allows you to use the magical power of each attribute embodied within the Holy Sword. The Holy Sword is both the key and the summons for that, while the Spirit Device is the item that can output even more power.”
Liriez’s ears perked up.
“I can’t explain it in detail. But it might have originated tens of thousands, or even hundreds of millions of years ago. I’m not sure of the origins either, but it’s likely that those things were made through lost technology.”
Magical firearms created by an ancient civilization. Just explaining it like that would be the quickest understanding.
Eventually, the Holy Sword heroes will come to comprehend everything thoroughly and keep their mouths shut.
“Like this time, when Holy Sword heroes reach a certain level, they gain the ability to summon Spirit Devices. Lucius, you’ll be the same.”
“Master, that is…”
“It’s easier to declare it openly to those present here. That you are the hero of the Holy Wind Sword.”
Guesswork. Speculating. It has now become ‘official.’
“I don’t know what that massive object was created to face, but Spirit Devices are both powerful forces and powers that should not be reckoned with.”
That’s just how power is.
“To be precise, it’s a force that shouldn’t be relied upon. What ancient people used was for the ancient people, and humanity must walk the path of growth suitable for humanity.”
“Are you saying not to use such powerful power?”
“It’s not that you shouldn’t use it. Don’t rely on it.”
I lowered my voice.
“Do you think that even one of the heroes of the Holy Sword used Spirit Devices 500 years ago? Do you think the Demon King didn’t face Spirit Devices?”
“!!”
Look how surprised they are.
‘Do you finally get a sense of my power?’
Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor.
The number of heroes he was defeated by is exactly five.
Excluding the unofficially defeated ‘Hero of Light,’ all the heroes of the Holy Swords fell to the Demon King.
“At that time, right before the ‘Grand Battle.’ The whereabouts of the Holy Wind Sword were still unknown, while the Holy Sword of Light headed towards the Demon King’s Castle but went silent. Excluding the two heroes of those Holy Swords, everyone else was defeated by the Demon King. Although it’s not now preserved in records, among those who stood against the Demon King using Spirit Devices were an incredible two, or perhaps three.”
“I’ve never heard of that before.”
“Spirit Devices are never things to bring up casually.”
But why did I mention it?
To conserve my mana.
And…
‘If the Intermediate Realm plunges into chaos, that’s not my concern.’
Who would dare flip the existence of Spirit Devices?
One is the established authority, and the other is Asydia.
There would surely be an uproar among the Order of the Goddess, but that’s not my problem.
‘When I retrieve my dragon’s physical body and return to the Demon World, they can either erase the history or have the Spirit Devices wage war and obliterate the Intermediate Realm; that’s entirely up to them.’
Whether they erase the existence of the Great Demon King’s deeds and Spirit Devices from history or not, that has nothing to do with me.
“But it’s foolishness not to use power when you have it. I fail to understand why Spirit Devices have been hidden for 500 years. If I were to guess…”
Grin.
“…Is it being controlled by the most powerful nation right now?”
“Are you talking about the Steel Empire?”
“Oh, I’ve never mentioned anyone specifically?”
Publicly known heroes of the Holy Swords. Among them were those of royal lineage who inherited the Holy Sword through generations.
“I’m not sure of the details, but there’s no need to know anyway. The moment someone tries to summon a Spirit Device here, someone will make contact.”
I pointed at Liriez.
“The Order of the Goddess has gained a new power. A natural force that is distinctly different from the previous one, but is ambiguous to call it divine power. Is this a heresy?”
“…If the ‘Holy’ Swords are the grace of the Goddess, then it wouldn’t be heresy.”
“Ha ha, exactly.”
How ironic.
Because it’s a ‘Holy’ Sword, even using nature’s mana isn’t an issue as it becomes the power of the Order of the Goddess.
If it were a ‘Demon’ Sword, then the story would be different.
“Power is just power. If you think of Spirit Devices as powerful weapons, you’re simply outside the bounds of existing common sense. The most important thing is…”
I pointed at my own navel with my thumb.
“Human power. Even the Great Demon King who fell before one ‘human’ ultimately fell. If they’d fought using Spirit Devices, could they have defeated the Demon King? No. They were too small compared to the Demon King, but they could win because they wielded the Holy Sword with the strong spirit of a human.”
You grow stronger as an individual.
As Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor did, ultimately, if the individual doesn’t grow stronger, nothing can be achieved.
“Lucius, and Liriez. Believe in your potential. Even without the power of the Holy Sword, you both possess the talent and skills to defeat the Demon King. I am certain of it.”
Liriez is already a perfected hero.
It’s not a title that the head of the Holy Knight Order of the Order of the Goddess has for no reason.
Moreover, Lucius is…
‘It’s natural he grows since I’m nurturing him entirely.’
In the worst-case scenario, Lucius is my so-called ‘joker card.’
In the worst-case scenario.
“Without the help of Spirit Devices, I’ll support you so that you can defeat the Demon King. For Liriez and Lucius. Even if it means sacrificing my own body.”
Ah.
While it’s a pity to give up the dragon’s body, if that dragon’s body were to be subjected to harsh treatment by Zephar, I wouldn’t want to return.
“So believe. In human strength.”
Ultimately.
“The one who defeated Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor was a single human.”
