Ch.4040. Spirit Body (2)

As the soulbound entity within the ‘Soul Linker’ awakens, some of its functions are unlocked.

The fusion with ‘Hero’s Fragment’ is confirmed.

The level of skills being unlocked is enhanced.

‘Skill: Mental World’ is now unlocked.

As the spirit entity revealed itself, a white curtain spread around me.

It was as if the entire background around me was being swept away by a pure white color.

This was similar to the “erosion” phenomenon that occurred when I summoned the fragment of the Grey Demon before. Similar in the sense that it spreads its influence over the surrounding area.

While not as powerful as the erosion skill that stops time itself, it’s certainly not something you could call weak.

<Item Info>

[Soul Linker] [Exclusive Equipment]

[Enchant: Epic] [‘Hero’s Fragment’ Fusion]

◎ Built-in Skill ◎

■ [Mental World] [Skill Grade: A]

[Summons a spirit entity to form a unique domain in the surrounding area. Within this domain, some abilities possessed by the spirit entity can be used. As the level of consciousness opening increases, the range of the domain expands, and the number of usable abilities increases.]

Currently available ability:

[Trait: Camaraderie]

[For a knight, comrades are family. You can partially transfer buffs applied to yourself to nearby individuals.]

“…”

Buff sharing capability… is this for real?

Of course, seeing the “partially” limitation, it probably can’t transfer the full performance, but there’s no limit on the number of people or even on the grade of buffs that can be shared.

At least it’s only possible within the range of the domain.

‘Right now, it’s about how many meters around me?’

At the very least, it’s a sufficient range for immediate close-quarters combat.

And the one who obtained this is me, who despite having all F stats, resolves most situations by stacking ridiculous buff skills.

‘…I did well to get this early.’

Yeah, seriously.

It’s not an Epic item for nothing. To think such an insane effect would be unlocked from the beginning.

As I was thinking this, the spirit entity that had completely revealed itself within the pure white Mental World began to take form before me.

A visor covering the face. Full plate armor. And among all that equipment, a particularly eye-catching breastplate engraved with a lion’s head.

The standard equipment of the Imperial Guard.

They’re considered the strongest single group on the continent.

The difference between an ordinary person and a regular knight is often compared to the difference between an infant and an adult man.

The gap between a regular knight and the Imperial Guard is said to be of similar magnitude.

And those who wear the “lion breastplate” among the Imperial Guard…

They were the ones at the pinnacle even among those monsters.

‘The Guardians.’

A group composed of only the strongest knights of their time.

A group teeming with individuals who had almost the same level of skill as Gideon, currently called the strongest in the Empire.

Why do I say they “were” specially treated? Because they’re all dead now.

These were the ones who were deployed during the “Red Night Incident” that swept up Elia’s family, and beheaded the Vessel that caused the incident.

“…”

It’s quite an incredible feat, really.

As we could see during the Purifier boss battle before, demonic energy itself summons creatures from Pandemonium into the material world. Especially if it’s someone with several fragments gathered together.

They faced an opponent who could summon thousands of demonic beasts alone, and only a few dozen people were urgently deployed to successfully resolve the situation.

So, any one of them would deserve to be called a hero.

But.

I think I know who this is.

“…Hello, Guardian.”

At my words, the knight’s eyes slowly turned toward me.

[Who are you? Where is this?]

The voice of the spirit entity echoes throughout the Mental World.

As expected, it’s a young man’s voice. The atmosphere is similar to the one I know.

For a human to become a thought entity, being merely great isn’t enough.

There must be lingering “attachments” so intense they feel obsessive.

Having a goal that couldn’t be achieved before death, making it impossible to close one’s eyes even when wanting to. Something like that.

And among the annihilated Guardians, there’s only one person who would harbor such feelings.

“I’ve heard a lot about you.”

[…What?]

Yes, that’s really the case.

Not just game knowledge, but I’ve actually heard about this person from someone else before.

“Nice to meet you, Calivan.”

The spirit entity’s movement froze.

Calivan Chrysanyx.

His given title is Knight of the Dawn. The strongest and last Guardian. With combat power at least on par with Gideon, he’s among the top-tier powerhouses.

A key figure in Chapter 4.

And.

“Your sister mentioned that I resemble you. Your younger sister.”

He’s the older brother of the hero Elia Krisanax.

●

<System Message>

[Checking current conditions of target ‘Elia’.]

[Current affection level below ‘Trust’. Contact with target ‘Calivan’ confirmed.]

[When affection level rises to ‘Trust’, an exclusive quest will be unlocked.]

<System Message>

[The ‘Heresy Inquisition’ is beginning to take interest in you!]

I read through the messages that appeared before my eyes.

Calivan Chrysanyx plays an extremely important role in Elia’s growth in the main story.

Not only is he someone Elia continues to look up to and follow as an object of admiration, but he’s also her last remaining blood relative whose whereabouts she desperately searches for.

‘…As for whether he’s alive or not, well, it’s obvious.’

If he were alive, he wouldn’t have become a thought entity.

Eventually, Elia learns that her brother is dead and suffers a tremendous psychological shock, but overcomes it to become a true hero—that’s the related episode.

As can be seen from that progression, the information players can know about Calivan is extremely fragmentary. Unlike Gideon who is still alive at the start of the scenario, this one has been dead for quite some time.

So there are several things even I didn’t know.

[Wow, this brings back memories. Compared to when I attended, nothing has changed at all!]

“…”

[Ah, when I enrolled…]

This person is a much bigger chatterbox than I expected.

“…You’ve been revived as a spirit entity, aren’t you shocked by the current situation?”

As I whispered that toward the amulet, a chuckling voice echoed in my head.

[I already have the memory of dying. What’s the point of denying reality? Rather than that, it’s better to quickly adapt to the current situation, right?]

Yes. As you can see, his adaptability is incredibly fast.

From the start, he accepted my “request for cooperation” instantly, saying he wasn’t in a position to refuse.

I received a promise that he would cooperate with anything as long as I wasn’t openly doing something bad, and this was less than an hour after he regained consciousness.

[Well, I don’t have any choice anyway, do I? Right now, I have to do whatever you tell me to, right?]

He said that too.

It’s like he signed a slave contract with the same casual tone as saying he’d prefer meat for dinner.

“…”

I wonder if this can really be explained away as just having good adaptability.

As expected of the strongest man among the Guardians. His mental fortitude is extraordinarily exceptional.

[Well, there was still one condition.]

The voice in the amulet momentarily subsided.

It seemed like he was barely suppressing something that was about to well up.

Thanks to that, the voice that followed was as cheerful as before, but.

[Don’t tell Elia about me. Not until I say it’s okay. That’s a promise, right?]

“…Yes, I promise.”

I know the reason too.

Elia knowing about his life or death status right now would be… ‘dangerous’ for her.

With Calivan’s soul awakening, what opened were Elia’s event and the ‘Heresy Inquisition’ event. The group rumored to be the most ruthless in the Empire.

And that didn’t open for nothing.

‘…Not until he gives permission, huh.’

I stroke my chin while recalling that sentence.

I think I roughly know when that time will be.

The main quest of Chapter 4 must be related to this person and Elia. Finding the owner of the Holy Sword.

After that, Elia’s combat power skyrockets to a level where she can properly face demons.

‘…Though we’ll have to deal with the Heresy Inquisition first.’

Just thinking about the message that appeared earlier.

I’ll probably have to face them soon. I really don’t want to get involved with them, though.

While I was sighing inwardly with such thoughts, at the front, Lady Ophelia, the dormitory supervisor, was clapping her hands to get the attention of the freshmen gathered in the auditorium.

“So, you all know why we’re gathered here, right~? It’s almost midterm exams~”

At Lady Ophelia’s announcement in a drawling voice, sighs that sounded almost like screams erupted from various places.

Well, who in the world likes exams?

Especially the regular exams at Elphante, known to be particularly strict.

“Even though some of you are still freshmen and haven’t completely decided on your major, everyone still has to take the midterm exams fairly~”

The regular exams for freshmen who haven’t even been assigned to a school corps yet always take a similar form.

The Great Plains Survival.

Students are placed in a huge stage and made to fight in teams.

The Empire’s officially designated main enemies are demonic beasts and demon cultists, and Elphante itself was established with the purpose of countering them. So they primarily focus on combat ability.

It’s no wonder the Knight Department is the most popular.

“The survival test will be in teams of up to four people~ Since these will be your companions for two days, choose carefully~”

The reason everyone gathered in this auditorium is probably to form teams all at once.

Of course, you can do it alone if you want. The difficulty increases, but so does the bonus points.

However, I don’t intend to proceed that way right now.

This midterm exam is an extremely important event.

Not just because it’s an exam, but because the event that occurs in the middle of it is extremely important.

‘Saint Lucien. Boy King. The Pope.’

Because it’s an incident that involves all three of them simultaneously.

It can’t help but be important.

So, I too need to form a party optimized for steering events according to my intentions.

‘Team composition…’

First, Elnore is out.

No matter what, it doesn’t make sense for the student council president to join in on freshmen exams.

She has a separate ‘role’ to play anyway.

So, the first person I need to recruit is.

“Hey.”

As I approached Elia, who was chatting noisily with her friends, and said that, the surroundings immediately fell silent.

They’re all familiar faces.

Luca. Falco. Grid. Trisha. The hero’s party members.

“…”

Normally, I would have left Elia to continue hanging out with these guys, but right now, I need this person too.

“…Sorry, but would it be okay if I take just this one with me for the midterm exam?”

When I said that, they all fell silent at once.

They just blinked at each other, all looking equally surprised.

‘…Was I too sudden?’

From their perspective, it must look like some random person rolled up while friends were having a good time and tried to take one of them away.

It’s natural for them to be surprised—

“That’s great, Elia!”

“I knew this would happen! You’ve been talking about it all the time!”

“Ah, yes! Take her! Please, I insist!”

Luca, Grid, and Falco all spoke in succession with voices full of emotion, then patted the dumbfounded Elia on the back together.

The atmosphere was like they were sincerely congratulating a friend on some good news.

“…”

What’s with this atmosphere?

“…Is this something to be congratulated for?”

When I cautiously asked that, the mage Falco wiped his nose and answered.

“Well, Elia has been constantly singing about wanting to take the midterm exam with you. Seeing you always with the student council president, she must have felt threatened, saying she needed to do something when it was her turn to hang out with—”

A merciless fist was planted in Falco’s face.

Seeing how he collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut in the middle of speaking, he must have been knocked out with one blow.

“Ah, t-teacher offering to take me, what a surprise! Yes!”

“…”

And Elia, who had thrown that punch, said that in a somewhat exaggerated tone.

Her face is a bit flushed. Her breathing is also rapid.

“…Are you okay?”

Are you pushing yourself too hard?

You don’t look quite normal.

When I asked with such suspicion, Elia twirled her eyes and scratched the back of her head.

“I’m f-fine! Of course! Ha, haha!”

“…No, getting an invitation to go together from a guy you’re extremely conscious of, you’re hardly fi—”

Elia’s short hook was also planted in the face of the archer Grid, who was saying that. The warrior Luca, who was watching from the side, slightly admired the clean form.

This one also seems to have been knocked out cleanly with one blow. He immediately fell face-first onto the floor.

“Really, really, I’m fine! Yes!”

“…”

“L-let’s get away from here! Before we hear any more unnecessary talk!”

Yes. If you say you’re fine, that’s good.

And leaving this place is a perfectly good suggestion too.

[…What kind of relationship do you have with my sister?]

Calivan muttered that in a voice of disbelief from the amulet, but for now, I ignore him and turn my words back to Elia.

“Right. That’s good. I have one more place to go.”

“What? A place?”

“We’re forming a team, right? We need at least one more person.”

Specifically, I need someone related to Saint Lucien.

“…”

It’s really the worst selection for participating in such an event, but.

It can’t be helped.

“Elia.”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever heard of the storage room?”

So.

It’s time for the sword-obsessed lunatic’s monumental public debut.

●

“…Therefore, this regular diplomatic mission will include Saint Lucien Greyhaunter and her knight escort. I am grateful that the Chancellor has graciously permitted this.”

“Think nothing of it, Your Holiness.”

It would appear to be an amicably exchanged conversation.

Indeed, Atalante’s face, as she faced the man on the other side of the long-distance communication magic orb, wore a polite expression.

However, she was currently inwardly churning through vehement criticisms of her counterpart.

At a level that would get her beaten and chased away if this were a conversation between cultured intellectuals.

‘As if you weren’t threatening with your whole body to stab Elphante if I didn’t give permission.’

Disgusting human.

That one sentence summarized Atalante’s assessment of the Pope.

Sir Credo Baor II. The current Pope.

Disgusting because he could stab someone in the back with a smiling face without batting an eye.

Disgusting because, despite being the head of the continent’s greatest and largest religious group, he clearly treated human lives as less than insects.

And disgusting because, despite all that, the holy power he could wield was at a level beyond the strongest of the current generation, possibly among the strongest in history.

‘I don’t even know what his intention is in readily handing over the Saint to us.’

Most of the talents currently gathering at Elphante are people influenced by her. Especially those suspected of being Demonic Vessel candidates.

Saint Lucien was one of them, but honestly, even she hadn’t thought the Saint would actually be accepted.

The Saint. A religious symbol of both the Empire and the Holy Empire.

It’s already a radical decision to casually hand over such a person to the Empire, but.

This man even threatened her, saying he would hand over the Saint “as quickly as possible” and insisting that the Saint must be brought into the academy within that timeframe.

As if he clearly had some intention.

“It seems inadequate to express gratitude with mere words, so I wish to offer a small assistance to the Chancellor.”

And the words that followed surely had such a context.

“Elphante is currently in its midterm exam period, is it not?”

Atalante’s expression slightly distorted.

‘…Midterm exams?’

What reason would someone of the Pope’s stature have for caring about student affairs?

Moreover, for something as trivial as regular exams.

The difference in scale is so great that she couldn’t even begin to guess his intention.

“…That is correct, but. That is purely an internal academy event, Your Holiness. There’s no need for you to concern yourself with such—”

“No.”

The Pope cut off her words with a refreshing voice.

“Give Lucien a task, Chancellor.”

Of course, unlike his voice.

“Surely, she will be of help.”

His eyes were filled with a venom like that of a snake.