Chapter 203: Turns Out Everyone’s Plotting Something (1)

No matter how luxurious and spacious a mansion or building was, it could never be flawless.

Why?

Because no one would be able to get rid of all the dust and bugs.

There were bound to be dirty areas, especially in places where sunlight couldn’t reach.

That was why no one should take cleaning lightly, and it wasn’t for nothing that a homeowner would be willing to pay a lot of money to hire a cleaning company.

However, even if they had cleaned everything thoroughly, if one were to ask where did all the dirty things come from, and why, they wouldn’t know the answer.

In that sense…

“I can’t believe it’s already been 13 years since I graduated from the Academy.”

“You were an Academy graduate?”

“I was in the Swordsmanship Department. I graduated at the top of my class.”

“…I guess there weren’t any great people that year, huh?”

“Sir!?”

“Agree.”

It wasn’t a wonder that in the incredibly spacious Academy, there could be a bunch of these ‘hidden trash’ hiding, the so-called rats.

The east part of the Academy was pretty much as vast as a city. But, since it was covered in thickets—a place with many rare herbs and wood—only those from the Alchemy or Magic Department would visit.

On days like today when the entrance exams were being held, even fewer people would visit it, making it a good place for outsiders to hide in.

However, even if someone were to enter the forest, they’d never find out that there were people here.

After all…

“No one would notice our Divine Technique, right?”

“The nuns in the recovery room are quite skilled, but they won’t be able to detect our Divine Technique.”

Woong-!

Divine Technique. A technique only those who served the Light of Brilliance—such as priests and nuns—could learn.

Some people even called it Divine Magic as the types of Divine Technique were so diverse.

The fact that these people were using it was clear evidence that they were people from the temple.

[Divine Technique of Darkness].

It was a Divine Technique that specialized in stealth; it could eliminate the user’s appearance and presence.

They were just hiding in the forest now, but the fact that they used such a Divine Technique showed just how meticulously prepared the temple was for emergencies.

After all, there were only two departments in the temple that could use this Divine Technique so skillfully. The Heretic Inquisition, the so-called temple’s hunting dogs that lived mostly in the shadows, and the Templar Knights, the knights with white armor that mainly active under the sun and wielded countless honors and glory, even more than any other knight order.

It was easy to identify these people’s affiliation by looking at the armor they were wearing. The white armor and the swan pattern engraved on it told who they were.

[Templar Knights].

The knights of the temple who had mastered both the Combat and the Divine Technique.

“Captain, do we really have to do all this?”

“Why are you asking? Does this hurt your pride?”

“…It would be a lie if I say it doesn’t.”

“Put that pride away for now. Restoring the glory of the temple is more important than your own personal honor.”

“Is it really possible, Sir?”

“Do you believe otherwise?”

“I understand the plan, but doesn’t it entirely depend on whether Galahad is fooled or not?”

“…They could be fooled. Probably.”

“?”

“After all, we do have that…”

“Why do you look so unsure, Sir? It’s so unlike you…”

“…Be quiet.”

The captain refused to reveal the details. Even though the other guy was his subordinate, he couldn’t just tell him everything that was confidential.

…After all, he didn’t want to deal with the backlash if he told them everything.

However, to the man who didn’t know any better…

“You’re too much, Captain. Seriously.”

It was such a disappointing answer that he couldn’t help but express his feelings clearly.

The 3-meter-tall paladin, Victor, grumbled. He respected his captain, but he couldn’t help but feel frustrated and disappointed whenever he hid so many things like this.

“Victor, what’s with this disrespect you’re showing to the captain?”

“Why do you only scold me, Senior? Tsk.”

“This guy…!”

The two knights growled at each other, but the captain did not stop them. He knew that his subordinates weren’t happy because they were going this far just to protect a single woman.

Of course, he was also dissatisfied with this situation.

If it weren’t for the lord’s orders, I wouldn’t have bothered either.

The captain couldn’t help but to think this whole thing was funny.

A plan to give birth to a saint…

Ridiculous.

Their plan was to create a holy being, the Child of God, artificially.

Of course, the captain thought of it as a ridiculous plan.

After all…

“The plan is to bring a woman with Duke Blake’s genes to him and tell him that the woman, Hayes Roche, is his real daughter. Right?”

“…”

At that moment, someone’s voice echoed from the forest, prompting Erhin de Lohengrin, the leader of the Templar Knights, to open his eyes wide. He wasn’t surprised that someone else visited this place. What was surprising was that this guy somehow knew the content of their plan, as if he had read his mind.

However, the owner of the voice continued, as if he hadn’t done talking yet.

“What a ridiculous plan. No matter what you think he is, Blake is not a pushover. He’s not the kind of guy who’d believe the evidence that the temple gives him. But, if the woman who claims to be his daughter has the power of ‘Dream Demon,’ I could see the plan working to some extent. If it’s the power of [Mystic], it would probably work on him, even if only a little.”

Step-!

Step-!

The unknown person walked comfortably into the forest without even wearing armor. He only had a sword on his waist and an axe on his back. Moreover, even though he was supposed to be unable to see them due to the Divine Technique of Darkness, he was looking straight in their direction as if he could see them.

“…From this point on, it’s just my guess, but I believe there are three things that the temple needs. First is for Hayes Roche to successfully enter Galahad. Second is to gradually ‘brainwash’ Duke Blake with the power of the Dream Demon and make him think of Hayes Roche as his own daughter. Third is to use Galahad’s influence to make Hayes Roche a ‘Saintess’. Of course, if they could also obtain the Demon Sword in the process, it would be perfect for them.”

“…”

“What a ridiculous plan… No, that isn’t even a plan, it’s a whole-ass gamble. Oh well… Gambling and investing are just a hair’s breadth apart, so I guess it’s okay to approach the matter with the mindset of, ‘Maybe it’ll work out!’. Now that I think about it, those temple guys feel like born gamblers.”

“…Can he see us?”

“Anyway, that’s what gambling is about. It’s a 50/50 chance, you either hit, or miss. Now that I think about it again, it’s pretty amazing. The fact that they really execute such an ignorant plan, and the fact that the people who execute it aren’t really elites… Seriously, are the people so high up just a bunch of lunatics?”

“I guess he can’t.”

The man just kept talking and didn’t respond to Erhin’s question.

Which meant, the sound-blocking magic was working properly.

And so…

“Victor, take care of him.”

“Should I kill him?”

“Do you think we should let him live?”

“…You are really thorough, Captain.”

The moment Erhin gave his order, Victor, the man who had been complaining, raised his hammer without complaint.

Victor Vulpe, the ‘Templar of Hammer’. He was a knight whose power could rival even the best knight of the Templar Knights—no, even the best knight in the kingdom with his Divine Technique.

[Divine Technique of Extraordinary Strength].

Rumble-!

It was a Divine Technique that not only increased the user’s physical ability by about ten to twenty times, but also granted instantaneous explosive strength.

On top of that, he had also mastered the Combat Technique, so it was safe to say that there was no one in this world who could stop his hammer. In the past, he had sunk an ogre’s head in one bash.

Crack-!

With Divine Technique of Darkness, his attacks were invisible and inaudible, so this would be a clean hit, as the unknown man wouldn’t be able to block it.

Sure enough, his hammer flashed and hit his opponent’s head hard, but…

Crack-!

“…?”

For a moment, Victor could only stand there, unable to understand what was happening.

It was only natural. After all…

Why is my arm broken?

He was the one who attacked, but for some reason, his arm was the one that was dangling, broken.

Then, he looked at the man with a puzzled expression.

“To put it in status window guy’s terms, you are a guy who’s invested heavily in strength and not in skills or intelligence at all.”

Thump-!

“Keuk!”

Victor’s body flipped over.

“To explain in simple terms what you were hit by, I used your own strength to return your blow. How is that possible? You just need to know Newton’s Third Law of Motion.”

“KUUUAGGH!”

“What’s the point of only using strength? Use your head, it isn’t just a decoration.”

Crackle-!

It was probably something that Victor didn’t want to know.

How could a giant of over 3 meters tall like him be bent like a shrimp?

He was often criticized for not being flexible enough, but if those guys were to look at him now, they’d definitely take their words back.

His back was broken to that extent, and that wasn’t all.

Crunch-!

…His spine and backbone were also shattered.

They were broken beyond relief; there was no way to fix it.

It was such a futile end for the renowned Templar of Hammer. From now on, he’d become completely paralyzed with no hope for recovery.

“V-Victor!”

“Damn it!”

“How dare you touch a templar…!”

The templars who had been dumbfounded by Victor’s futile defeat rushed forward in anger. They were acting as if they’d never let the perpetrator who dared to touch their comrades come out alive.

“Stop!”

However, at that moment, an uneasy feeling swept over Erhin’s heart and he tried to stop the others from rushing it. His instinct was screaming at him to not let them move recklessly, and that they had to stay calm right now.

Unfortunately, some of them were already seeing red. More than ten people rushed at the unknown man.

Then…

“Why are there so many [trash] here?”

Whoosh-!

Since the man happened to have a 3-meter long ‘weapon’ in his hand, he just swung it.

It feels smooth.

The man, Lee Han, swung it as if it was a whip.

That day, the knights found out that a human body could be used as a weapon, and it could even be stronger than most weapons.

…Of course, it was a fact that they’d rather not know at all.