Chapter 16

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on February 8, 2025

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The world seemed to dim, then suddenly a blinding white space stretched endlessly, filling the entire view without beginning or end.

After a moment of silence, the Demon King finally broke it.

“Let’s consider your desired conditions, shall we?”

“Desired conditions?”

“You share the same ultimate goal of defeating your father, but the means and process to get there differ.”

“…Huh?”

What was he talking about?

“So, this is about how you want to win.”

“As long as I win, isn’t that enough?”

“You’re still thinking too simplistically.”

The Demon King clicked his tongue.

“As a knight, or a mage. Or in some other form entirely—victory is all that matters, right? That’s what you’re saying?”

“Well….”

Isn’t that enough?

It was an impossible premise to begin with.

A realm unimaginable even in fantasy.

Not because he was my father objectively, but because he was currently one of the absolute top-tier powerhouses on the continent.

The nine heroes are always treated as exceptions when discussing the strongest beings on the continent.

And the biggest reason for this classification? My father, Ruelde.

While the other nine heroes are indeed at the peak of strength, they aren’t completely unmatched.

But Father… he’s in a league of his own.

He could single-handedly take on an entire nation if necessary.

…And even that might be an understatement.

Moreover, despite returning most of the sacred relics due to various circumstances, he still wields the Sacred Sword.

Not to mention the close ties between the Berke Empire and the Order.

And let’s not forget that Mother was a Holy Maiden—a fact hard to ignore.

Though there are several Holy Maidens now who have succeeded her legacy, only Mother Hermine stood firm during the Demon King invasion and earned her legendary status.

For good reason, she was revered as the Holy Mother of her time.

“…”

Considering all this, Carriel felt not just frustration but despair.

If only she had shown a fraction of that kindness toward him…

In any case, this is why the Church willingly recognized Ruelde as the rightful owner of the Sacred Sword.

However, as time passed, this recognition began to fade somewhat.

The Heroic Father, the Holy Maiden, and the Empire.

Now, with Carriel’s engagement to Ellie, symbolically speaking, the union represents the perfect fusion of the Empire, the Order, and the hero lineage.

Had Carriel been less scrupulous and more thoughtless, chasing after Ellie’s beauty and status without much care…

This itself could have contributed to maintaining peace within the empire by simply going along with everything.

“Your preferred approach will affect the weight and depth of the time and effort required.”

“I understand what you mean.”

Still…

Even when asked suddenly, honestly, what else could he think of?

Despite dedicating his life to wielding a sword and studying various skills across many places, it was all wasted effort.

There was nothing left.

Because from the start, he lacked mana and the aptitude to handle it.

Neither swords nor magic were his forte.

Nor anything else.

“Ah…”

“Do you have any inkling of something?”

“Even if I did, it’d be meaningless, wouldn’t it?”

Moreover, it wasn’t something he could control anyway.

Once again, his inability to manipulate mana became a stumbling block.

“I can see spirits, but that’s about it.”

Even that was only possible in areas rich with natural energy.

Here in Rutania, where impure and chaotic energies abound, it held little significance.

“That’s because there’s no proper methodology for handling such things.”

“Methodology?”

“Those so-called ‘pure-bloods’ may be born wild like beasts, but unless you’re exceptionally talented, you wouldn’t dare attempt it.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“It’s common sense—if you don’t know the method, you’ll struggle. Very reasonable.”

Anyway…

“This doesn’t suit your nature, so just consider it a supplementary option.”

After all, relying on someone else’s power was still reliance.

“No matter how long you summon spirits, you won’t beat your dad. And you’re not particularly skilled at it either.”

“Is that… really?”

“My word as someone born from spirits—there’s no doubt about it. No objections allowed. If you’re curious, summon the Spirit King and ask.”

“…Born from spirits?”

“What comes to mind when you hear ‘gold’?”

“Gold?”

Blinking twice, Carriel hesitated before answering.

“Light, brightness, splendor… Hmm, in terms of attributes, would it be Earth?”

“Yes. That’s my original attribute.”

As a spirit, I encompass all attributes.

“…?”

Is that even possible?

“Fools tend to label what they haven’t discovered as impossible, but this is reality. If you’re curious, summon the Spirit King and ask.”

“…”

The deeper they delved, the more fascinating she became.

And yet…

How could someone who was once a spirit become a daemon and rise to become the Demon King?

“How does this relate to me being able to see you?”

“Sort of?”

The Demon King didn’t fully explain.

It wasn’t exactly about the ability to perceive spirits…

…but there was no need to clarify that now.

“In any case, since you lack answers in magic and mana manipulation, external help will be necessary. If you aim to resolve that, tools will be essential.”

“External… meaning I’ll need tools? As supplementary support?”

“Exactly. Wasn’t that what you had in mind?”

With a snap of her fingers, images and text appeared in midair.

A human body shape.

A sword.

And a book.

Each labeled with “Body,” “Tool,” and “Means.”

“Everything depends on the harmony of these three factors. Taking your father as an example…”

Under “Tool,” the words “sword” appeared.

His main weapon: the Sacred Sword and Sacred Relics.

Under “Means,” the fundamental style: Imperial Swordsmanship.

Auxiliary techniques: unique combat methods honed through practical experience.

And the secret technique: the Sixfold Radiance.

A miraculous skill originally demonstrated by the Gold Dragon, which saved the world, adapted into Ruelde’s personal technique.

Something Carriel himself once thought he’d learn someday…

But now, he must break and destroy it instead.

“And the foundation enabling those two elements lies in Ruelde’s robust physique.”

Even if you wield the Sacred Sword, it’s meaningless if your body can’t handle it.

No matter how strong-willed you are mentally, without physical capability, it remains incomplete.

In truth, Ruelde gained the qualities of a hero because his body and mind were fundamentally perfect.

Even before obtaining the Sacred Sword, during the early days of Imperial Swordsmanship, he was already a formidable warrior.

However…

Compared to the starting points of the other nine heroes, Ruelde was initially the weakest.

“Even after acquiring the Sacred Sword, he remained the weakest for a while.”

“Really?”

“He only reached parity with the others when he could fully utilize the Sacred Sword.”

In other words, excluding Ruelde, the others were extraordinary outliers.

Without them, even if Ruelde had obtained the Sacred Sword, he would’ve likely perished or failed long ago.

“But things changed once he started using Sacred Relics.”

From that point onward, he transformed into an unprecedented powerhouse.

Ordinarily, mastering just the Sacred Sword would be challenging enough, but Ruelde could also harness the combined power of the Sacred Relics.

“Even I started feeling uneasy around that time. It was within expectations, but still… this felt unfair, didn’t it?”

When it seemed the Middle Realm might fall, God played dirty tricks like this.

“Having heard all this, do you have any idea what you need?”

“…Everything?”

“That’s obvious. But isn’t there something irreplaceable that stands out?”

“The Sacred Sword?”

“Right. Exactly that.”

No matter how much you train and strengthen your body…

How can someone without the Sacred Sword or Sacred Relics possibly defeat Ruelde?

Or should he appeal to honor and ask for a duel without the Sacred Sword?

It might be possible…

“But that doesn’t sit well with you, does it?”

“Not really.”

Even if he won…

There would always be the lingering impression that Ruelde intentionally lost.

Whether Ruelde truly acknowledged it or not, it would be utterly useless.

Ultimately, how Carriel personally perceived and accepted the victory mattered most.

“I hope to face him at full readiness, wielding both the Sacred Sword and Sacred Relics.”

“In that case, you’ll need something equivalent.”

“…Is that even possible?”

Only skepticism arises.

“In your world, you classify things like Sacred Swords, Sacred Spears, and Sacred Relics. In the Demon Realm, similar items exist.”

“Surely not…”

“Magical Armaments (魔裝器). Your history books vaguely mention something similar, right?”

“No. More accurately, they’re called Demon Treasures (魔寶具).”

The Demon King frowned.

“Demon Treasures? Why degrade them like that? Each one is a divine weapon used by leaders of their respective domains in the Demon Realm.”

“They’re categorized as war trophies from the past invasion.”

“And none can use them?”

“Some rare cases exist.”

Part of the reason tensions nearly escalated into war back then was due to these artifacts.

Those who believed they could overpower Ruelde and the empire with the power of Demon Treasures formed alliances and launched coordinated attacks.

Of course…

Even during this period, Father single-handedly crushed two entire fronts.

Even with forceful measures, there were reportedly zero casualties.

Meanwhile, the remaining three fronts were stabilized by the other five heroes representing the empire, preventing further escalation.

Casualties were minimal.

Even major battles were localized skirmishes.

…Regardless of the truth, countless stories circulated during this time.

Eventually, the situation was resolved with Carriel serving as a hostage for three years, traveling across the continent outside the empire in place of the princess.

“…”

I don’t even remember, but I must’ve been thinking pretty highly of myself back then.

“…”

“If you mishandle the Magical Armament, you risk excommunication or worse, being branded a heretic under the Irene’s Doctrine. What do you think about that?”

“Since the Order doesn’t govern the entire continent, as long as we avoid entanglement with them, it should be fine.”

The Order had long been wary of these artifacts.

They claimed to have gathered and sealed all Demon Treasures in a special vault deep within the Papacy.

However, those who refused to return their Demon Treasures continued treating them as legitimate war trophies and family heirlooms.

“Some contemporary figures have mastered the usage of these artifacts and declared their intention to pass them down as treasures within their families, regardless of nationality or royalty.”

“The Order must’ve been quite troubled by that.”

“If they don’t believe in Irene’s Doctrine, why would they care?”

“And…”

“I don’t think the Order intends to merely seal away these artifacts. They’ll likely preserve them to assert authority and legitimacy. In times of crisis, they might even use them to demonstrate the church’s hidden power and expand their influence. That’s my guess.”

He struck at the core, though numerous errors existed in the finer details.

Still, being able to articulate such ideas was impressive in itself.

…Well…

If kept bottled up internally, this could remain mere grandiose delusion.

At least the kid understood the essence of power.

“Don’t bring up the topic of heresy unless you want to invite trouble. Keep such thoughts buried deep within your heart.”

“Who would listen to me anyway? Much less trust me.”

Rather, how could he casually entertain such dangerous thoughts as if they were normal?

“Truly an interesting fellow.”

Perhaps because of this, he dared to propose a perilous deal with someone like herself—the embodiment of taboo, the Demon King.

A contradictory individual in every sense.

“In any case, considering your activities within the empire’s territory, wielding Magical Armaments could cause problems.”