Ch. 177 Heroine – Chapter 177
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 177
Supernaturals.
Humans who surpass ordinary humans.
Their existence is essential in the war against the monsters from another world.
Ordinary humans cannot stand against monsters.
It’s not just a matter of a difference in strength.
Humans are physically inferior compared to other beasts.
If the opponent is a monster, there’s no comparison at all.
But humans are creatures who overcome their physical limitations with wisdom.
They hone their insight and discernment, and they create tools.
They craft weapons to compensate for their fragile bodies.
Humans have hunted beasts far stronger than themselves.
They expanded their territory and drove away beasts that threatened humanity.
In this way, they built nations and reigned as the dominant intelligent beings on Earth.
Monsters are no different. If they are lower rank monsters, even non-supernaturals can handle them. Even mid rank monsters aren’t completely impossible to deal with.
The technology humans have developed is capable of taking down monsters. But humans were rendered helpless. They were no match for the monsters.
Mental corruption.
Just facing a monster corrupts the human mind.
Even if they have weapons to fight, they are meaningless if they can’t even use them.
Even without mental corruption, manpower and resources are still significant issues. How much time, manpower, and resources would it take for non-supernaturals to replicate the performance of a single skilled supernatural?
The battle against monsters is endless. It’s impossible to expend that much effort every time a battle occurs. It’s a waste.
That’s why supernaturals are essential.
From the moment they awaken their abilities, supernaturals bear a legal obligation.
Countless supernaturals serve society as Heroes of the Celestial Corps, defeating monsters.
But not all supernaturals belong to the Celestial Corps.
Unregistered supernaturals.
Those who refuse to register with the state and reject their legal obligations.
Criminals who abuse their supernatural abilities.
The most prominent example is the Family.
However, not all supernaturals who don’t belong to the Celestial Corps are criminals. It’s an obligation for supernaturals to graduate from the academy and join the Celestial Corps. It’s a duty mandated by the constitution. But as always, there are exceptions.
The Church.
A religious organization that worships the Gods of the Four Seasons.
They claim that supernatural abilities are a blessing bestowed upon humans by the Gods of the Four Seasons. That’s why they call those who break through their limits and awaken their abilities “those close to the gods”.
If supernatural abilities are a blessing from the gods.
Then the Church, which serves the gods, should naturally embrace them.
The Church argued this and didn’t stop at mere words—they took action.
Clashes of opinion. Legal battles. Political conflicts. Religious disputes.
In the end, the commander of the Celestial Corps chose to compromise to some extent.
[Serve humanity and society, just like the Celestial Corps.]
By accepting this condition, the Church of the Four Seasons was able to form its own group of supernaturals.
The Sacred Knights.
They serve the gods and eradicate evil.
The primary role of the Celestial Corps is to protect human territory.
They repel monsters that invade through rifts in space-time.
They crush monsters that attack from beyond the borders.
The Knights focus not on protection but on reclaiming lost territory.
Beyond human territory.
Beyond the borders lies land taken by monsters.
The realm of monsters. They reclaim the lost land.
Because of this, the Knights often collaborate with the 1st Division of the Celestial Corps. Their missions are similar.
Under the command of the God of War, they set foot in the realm of monsters. Rifts don’t only appear in human territory. In the realm of monsters, their numbers grow endlessly, and if left unchecked, they increase exponentially.
In essence, the Knights are an extension of the 1st Division.
They are similar in duty, even if their affiliation is with the Church rather than the Celestial Corps.
Given that the Knights were established under the influence of the God of War, this is perhaps natural.
“A request for cooperation.”
As he read the official document from the Celestial Corps, the young man stroked his chin. It was filled with formalities, but the gist was simple.
The upcoming Family Subjugation War.
The Sacred Knights were being asked to cooperate.
More precisely, they were being asked to fill the gaps left by the Celestial Corps.
The Celestial Corps is an organization that protects people from monsters.
They remain vigilant against the constant emergence of space-time rifts and never let their guard down.
But if they allocate personnel to the Family Subjugation War, gaps in their defenses will naturally appear.
They are asking the Knights to fill those gaps.
That was the Celestial Corps’ request.
“There’s no reason or justification to refuse.”
The young man smiled bitterly. The Celestial Corps and the Knights. Though they are two organizations, in reality, they serve the same apex.
The commander of the Celestial Corps, the God of War. The pinnacle of humanity. Though the young man is the leader of the Knights, the true master of the Knights is not the Church but the God of War.
The leader of the Sacred Knights.
Johan.
He scratched his black hair and bent his back.
Resting his chin on the back of his hand, he slightly furrowed his brows.
The Celestial Corps’ request for cooperation wasn’t particularly unusual. They had always cooperated during major events like calamities or the descent of demonic beasts, especially with the 1st Division. However, this document contained an unusual detail. Johan read that part again.
“The leader of the Knights is requested to participate in the subjugation war if possible…”
From the 2nd to the 7th Division.
Not only are all the captains participating in the Family Subjugation War.
Now they’re even pulling in the leader of the Knights?
The captains are the pinnacle of humanity.
The strongest supernaturals.
The pillars that support the Celestial Corps.
Most of those pillars are participating in this battle.
Yet, they still deemed it insufficient and reached out to the leader of the Knights.
“Even though the God of War is absent…”
Are they really that much of a threat?
Not the Family, but the Devils presumed to be behind them.
The Thunder Lord, Kallad, who is said to be the strongest after the commander.
The Storm, Karma, who defeated a demonic beast and transplanted its byproducts.
Even with those two, do they still consider the Devils so powerful?
He had heard that three captains, including Kallad, had failed to capture a Devil.
But as someone who had witnessed that man’s power, Johan found it hard to believe.
Even if it’s hard to believe, if it’s true, it’s not something he can ignore.
Devils. Monsters disguised as humans. Their danger is on par with demonic beasts. Perhaps even greater.
“Wouldn’t it be better to wait until the God of War returns…”
It’s already been months since the last news of the God of War.
Beyond the borders, in the realm of monsters, the God of War disappeared.
Normally, the survival rate in such situations would plummet.
The areas encroached upon by monsters have transformed into environments where humans cannot survive. Water and land are polluted. Plants and animals either die or become toxic.
It’s a hellish landscape that rejects life. Being missing for months in such an environment essentially means death.
There is only one exception.
The God of War.
Over the course of 150 years, the God of War’s disappearances into the monster-infested lands were not uncommon. Venturing too deep into these lands placed an immense burden on other members of the Celestial Corps.
That’s why the God of War moved alone. Alone, they would tear through the monster-infested lands, annihilating the monsters. They roamed the world beyond humanity’s narrow borders as if it were their own home, overturning everything.
Because of this, even when the God of War went missing in the monster-infested lands, no one was worried.
“…There must be a reason they can’t return yet.”
No one knows when the God of War will return.
Sometimes, they wouldn’t return for months—or even years.
The Family has abducted many citizens. Their fates are unknown, and with each passing day, the chances of survival grow slimmer.
Since the reason behind the Family’s abductions is unclear, action must be taken as soon as possible. To prevent more people from being abducted. To rescue those who have already been taken.
Johan called his adjutant and instructed him to draft a response to the Celestial Corps. The Knights, at their core, are no different from the Celestial Corps.
They protect the nation and its citizens. That is the reason for the Knights’ existence. There was no reason to refuse the Celestial Corps’ request for cooperation.
The objectives of the Family Subjugation War are threefold.
First, the eradication of the Family.
Second, the defeat of the Devils.
Third, the rescue of the abducted citizens.
“They’ve abducted quite a lot. What diligent bastards.”
Johan clicked his tongue as he flipped through the photos.
These were the profiles of individuals presumed to have been abducted by the Family.
Among them, some may have truly been killed by monsters.
Others may have had their deaths faked and were abducted by the Family.
Johan made an effort to memorize as many of the faces in the photos as he could.
If he engraved them in his mind, there might come a time when it would be useful.
As he flipped through the photos, Johan’s hand stopped at the last one.
Shimmering blonde hair and pink eyes.
A soft smile on her lips.
A neat and clean academy uniform.
The image of the beautiful girl made Johan’s pupils tremble.
“…Huh?”
An academy uniform. Yes, he remembered. There was a student from the academy who was presumed to have been abducted by a Devil. Johan’s lips twitched slightly.
“Lady Lucille?”
He muttered blankly, but soon let out a hollow laugh and shook his head.
The resemblance in appearance and name had caused him to momentarily mistake her.
There’s no way it’s her.
After all, Lady Lucille is dead.
She died five years ago.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
Happy new year!
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
Happy new year to you too! Author from… 2 years ago…Man, I don’t get paid enough for these… Wait, I don’t even get paid for this!
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