Return of the Calamity-Class Death Knight - Chapter 114

Chapter 114: The Church (3)

***

The Holy Empress led Damien to the audience chamber.

The ceiling of the audience chamber was made entirely of glass, offering a breathtaking view of the blue sky.

Bright sunlight illuminated the entire room.

The Holy Empress, her body frail, took her seat on the holy throne in the center of the room.

Damien could not help but stop in his tracks.

Memories of his previous life in this place flooded back to him. It was when he had stormed the castle on Dorugo’s orders.

At that time, Damien had led an army of undead soldiers to this place in order to capture the Holy Empress.

Unbelievably, the Holy Empress had not fled but had sat here waiting for Damien.

The undead dragged the Holy Empress before Dorugo, showing no respect for her age. They grabbed her by the hair and dragged her like a dog.

Even as her skin was scraped against the ground and her bones were broken on the stones, the Holy Empress did not waver. She remained unyielding even when Dorugo subjected her to all sorts of insults.

“I thought the leader of the Church would be more impressive. For the closest representative of God, you have a rather ugly appearance.”

“How shameful. For me, a being with flesh and blood, to be called ugly by a bag of bones like you.”

“…Do you not understand the situation? Your life is in my hands now.”

“I do not fear death. Ah, you would not understand. That is why you are willing to become such a wretched existence to avoid death.”

Dorugo flew into a rage and ordered Damien to kill the Holy Empress.

“You are in pain, are you not?”

The Holy Empress spoke softly to Damien as he approached.

“Do not give up. If you do, your sins will only grow greater. Remember this. You are the only hope…”

Even as her head was flying off, the Holy Empress kept her eyes on Damien.

“Sir Damien, come closer.”

Damien was pulled out of his past memories by the Holy Empress’s voice.

He took a step towards her but stopped at the edge of the red carpet.

“Sir Damien, your accomplishments are too numerous to list. You executed the Yulan’s executive Akitora, and since then you have repeatedly killed dark mages and reported those who use dark magic.”

The Holy Empress continued.

“For that alone, we owe you a great debt, but with the crusade, you have done us a favor that we can never repay.”

She was referring to what had happened in the dungeon of the Corspeplay’s dungeon.

Thanks to Damien, the Church was able to greatly reduce the casualties of the crusade.

“Many paladins and soldiers owe their lives to you.”

“It was my duty.”

The Holy Empress smiled, pleased with Damien’s answer.

“And in addition… I hear that you have recently defeated another evil being.”

At the Holy Empress’s words, Damien took out the core of the demonic sword. The Holy Empress’s eyes widened slightly as she saw the core.

“So this is the core of the demonic sword that has shaken the Kingdom of Apple.”

“I wish to offer it to the Church.”

“As I have heard, you are a truly devout man.”

The Holy Empress said, making the sign of the cross.

“We had decided to repay your service in rescuing the crusade by granting you permission to enter the secret treasury, but the core of the demonic sword… I do not know how to repay you. Do you have any requests?”

At the Holy Empress’s words, Damien took out the holy sword from the subspace.

“The holy sword was destroyed in the battle with the demonic sword. If possible, I would like to have it repaired.”

The holy sword was created by the Church. As such, he thought it would be easy to repair.

However, the Holy Empress’s reaction was strange. She had a troubled expression on her face.

“Sir Damien, lower-level holy swords cannot be repaired once they are destroyed.”

This was the first time he had heard of this.

“The broken parts can be fixed and restored, but the divine power cannot be reinjected.”

“Then…….”

“That holy sword can no longer be used.”

Damien looked down at the holy sword with a shocked expression. He had grown quite fond of the sword, so his disappointment was even greater.

The Holy Empress pondered for a moment before speaking to Damien.

“Although it is impossible to repair the holy sword, I will grant you a mid-level holy sword in recognition of your service in offering the core of the demonic sword.”

Mid-level holy sword.

Cheongyeum was even more surprised than Damien at those words.

“Your Holiness! There has never been a single case of a mid-level holy sword being granted to an outsider!”

Low-level holy swords only had the effect of protecting the user with divine power. However, mid-level holy swords were different.

They were imbued with miracles.

Miracles were supernatural abilities that priests and paladins could manifest using divine power.

The miracles bestowed upon mid-level holy swords were not ordinary. They were powerful enough to change the tide of battle.

Therefore, only after paladins had accomplished many feats and gained the necessary qualifications could they receive a mid-level holy sword.

“Considering Sir Damien’s accomplishments, I believe we should give him such an item.”

“But…….”

“Furthermore, Sir Damien joined the crusade and helped the Church even though it was not his business. He can already be considered one of us.”

Cheongyeum’s face contorted with conflict at the Holy Empress’s words.

“And do you know something? Perhaps someday Sir Damien will become one of us for real.”

The Holy Empress spoke with a gentle smile, but there was something burning in her eyes. It was the same look that Agnes had given him when she tried to recruit him as a paladin. He felt a cold sweat running down his back.

“My will is still not strong enough to follow the will of God.”

“Then you will join the Church once your shortcomings are filled.”

“There are too many shortcomings…….”

Damien desperately made excuses, as he had no intention of joining the Church.

“Then there is nothing we can do.”

The Holy Empress stepped back with a look of disappointment. Damien let out a sigh of relief.

The Holy Empress called for the priest standing next to the door.

“Go and bring Malta. Tell him I have something to discuss regarding the holy sword.”

The priest heard the Holy Empress’s words and went outside.

A moment later, someone entered the audience chamber.

“Your Holiness! You called for me, so I came!”

The person came running and knelt before the Holy Empress.

“I have something to discuss about the holy sword. Are you finally going to approve the proposal for my ‘Great Holy Light Crushing Army Obliteration Holy Sword for decisive battle with dark mages’? As expected, Your Holiness knows the value of my proposal!”

Damien looked to the side with a somewhat surprised expression.

A short stature like a child.

A stocky build full of muscles.

A bushy beard that completely covered his face.

A dwarf.

They were a sub-race known for having the greatest craftsmanship and skills in the world.

“Malta, that’s not why I called you.”

“Yes? Then why did you call me when I’m so busy? Of course, I’m happy to be summoned by Your Holiness, but I have a mountain of things to do that are more urgent…….”

“I am going to grant Sir Damien here a mid-level holy sword. I need your confirmation.”

Malta turned to look at Damien. Then he gasped in surprise. It seemed like he had only just noticed Damien’s presence.

“Your Holiness, my eyes must be crooked. No matter how I look, he doesn’t seem to be a paladin.”

“You are correct. Sir Damien is not a paladin.”

“If he’s not a paladin…… then you mean he’s an outsider?”

“That’s right.”

“To an outsider…… a mid-level…… holy sword…… you’re going to…… grant it……?”

“That’s right…….”

Before the Holy Empress could finish speaking, the dwarf let out a scream.

“I absolutely cannot allow itttttt!”

The entire building shook with the thunderous roar. Dust fell from the ceiling.

“How could I have created those children with such care! I’m even reluctant to give them to paladins, but an outsider? An outsider, you say? No! Absolutely not! I would rather have my eyes gouged out than let that happen!”

“But considering Sir Damien’s accomplishments…….”

“What accomplishments are you talking about? He’s an outsider, regardless! Do you know what kind of item is a mid-level holy sword? If we just hand over such a cute, adorable, and lovely child to the hands of such an outsider…… who knows what might happen!”

Malta roared loudly. The Holy Empress looked at Malta with a tired expression.

“Malta, Sir Damien has agreed to offer us the core he obtained after defeating the demonic sword this time.”

At those words, Malta’s body trembled.

“Y-you said the core of the demonic sword? Where is it? I happen to need more information on the demonic sword in order to improve the ‘Great Holy Light Crushing Army Obliteration Holy Sword for a decisive battle with dark mages’…….”

“I have agreed to grant Sir Damien a mid-level holy sword in exchange for it.”

Malta looked up at the Holy Empress in confusion.

“Y-Your Holiness! T-that’s…….”

“If you continue to oppose me, I will make sure you are excluded from the research on the core of the demonic sword.”

At the Holy Empress’s firm words, Malta’s expression turned as if he had lost everything he had.

Malta clutched his head and began to ponder. He even groaned, showing how seriously he was considering it.

“Then I have no choice but to exclude Malta from the research…….”

“Just wait a moment! Instead! I will let him have it if he proves his worth!”

The Holy Empress’s eyes widened in surprise at Malta’s quick response.

“Prove his worth…… you say?”

“Yes! If Sir Damien passes the Iron Trial, I will no longer oppose it!”

The Holy Empress looked at Malta with a displeased expression.

“Malta…… you shouldn’t make such excuses just because you don’t want to give up the holy sword.”

“W-why not! Originally, all paladins of the Church had to pass the Iron Trial in order to obtain a holy sword, didn’t they!”

“Isn’t the Iron Trial only for paladins who are granted a legendary holy sword?”

Damien’s eyes flashed at the mention of a legendary holy sword.

Holy swords created by the Church were given one of five grades: low, middle, high, supreme, and special.

However, there were occasionally holy swords that were given a special grade.

That special grade was none other than legendary.

In order to create a holy sword, one had to infuse metal with divine power over a long period of time.

In the process, a metal was sometimes transformed by divine power.

The transformed metal had a completely different structure and properties than before. It was as if it had been reborn as a new metal.

The holy swords created from this transformed metal became stronger and sharper with each battle. Moreover, the amount of divine power they emitted also increased.

Finally, they have a new miracle that did not exist in this world.

In other words, a legendary holy sword was, in a nutshell, a holy sword that grew with the owner.

It was an incomparably great item compared to a mid-level holy sword.

“Let’s do that.”

Damien said. Both of their gazes turned to Damien.

“Sir Damien? What are you talking about?”

“Hahaha! Outsider! Well thought! You have to prove your worth to receive a great weapon!”

Malta said with great joy.

“But you should know this. If you don’t pass the trial, I can’t give you the mid-level holy sword…….”

“Instead, give me a legendary holy sword if I pass the Iron Trial.”

Malta’s face was filled with hestation at those words. The Holy Empress had a similar expression.

“Sir Damien, a legendary holy sword is…….”

“Good! Let’s do that!”

Unlike the hesitant Holy Empress, Malta spoke loudly.

“But I don’t know if you’ll be able to pass the Iron Trial!”

Malta laughed confidently. He seemed convinced that Damien would not be able to pass the trial.

The Holy Empress sighed deeply as she looked back and forth between the two.

“……Since both of you agree, I can’t object. If Sir Damien passes the Iron Trial, I will give him a legendary holy sword.”

“Did you hear that? Follow me right away!”

Malta gestured for Damien to follow him.

Damien greeted the Holy Empress and Cheongyeum before following Malta.

***

As soon as the two left, the Holy Empress’s body staggered.

“Svetlana!”

Cheongyeum hurriedly approached and supported the Holy Empress.

“What did you see in that guy to make you so distressed?”

Since there was no one else around, Cheongyeum did not use honorifics.

“Brother…….”

The Holy Empress is also called Cheongyeum by a more familiar method. She swallowed dry saliva and said.

“……I saw a mountain of corpses.”

Cheongyeum’s face hardened at the Holy Empress’s words.

“The corpses covered the entire world. There were so many that there was no place to even step. The blood was flowing like a river.”

“……You saw such a vision?”

The Holy Empress Svetlana had a special ability. She could see into a person’s heart.

It was an ability she had gained when she first awakened her divine power.

She had used this ability to identify countless heretics and dark mages up to this point who tried to infiltrate the church.

“Shouldn’t we lock him up right away?”

The Holy Empress shook her head at Cheongyeum’s words.

“There…… the black knight was crying.”

“Black knight?”

“Yes, a knight wearing thick armor so large that he didn’t look human.”

The Holy Empress recalled the scene she had just seen.

The knight was shedding tears of blood. He let out a scream filled with agony.

He squeezed his own body and punched it. As if that wasn’t enough, he stabbed himself with a sword.

It was a very cruel, eerie…… and sad sight.

“I don’t think Sir Damien is a dangerous person.”

As she said that, the Holy Empress stared at the direction where Damien had disappeared for a long time.

***

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