Chapter 65 – Reward

Holy relics.

There are said to be a total of seven holy relics.

-The Sword of Humility, Humble.
-The Greatsword of Charity, Nuhue.
-The Bow of Kindness, Kandra.
-The Shield of Patience, Piante.
-The Armor of Purity, Serla.
-The Holy Mark of Temperance, Sacred.
-The Staff of Diligence, Induce.

Among them, it’s said that the Greatsword of Charity, Nuhue, was destroyed by an unidentified Outer God that appeared in ancient times, so long ago that no records of it remain.

Humble and Sacred were held by Paulo and Luna, respectively.

And the other four holy relics are all stored in the Holy Kingdom of Pranecia.

That’s the truth.

I saw the four holy relics wrapped in brilliant light when I turned the Holy Kingdom upside down 400 years ago.

I did hear about the history of the holy relics, but I didn’t think I needed to remember them, so I threw out that information.

I just vaguely remember that they’re durable, strong, and sharp weapons. What’s still clear in my mind is their traits.

Holy relics have a consciousness. In other words, they have an ego. They are peculiar entities that can talk like a human, and sometimes offer advice.

Also, they choose their own masters.

It’s ridiculous how the arrogant Paulo was chosen by Humility, and the greedy Luna was chosen by Temperance, but whatever.

Lastly.

When their master dies, they return to their original place.

Which means they return to the Holy Kingdom.

So I asked Fabiana:

“Do you know the whereabouts of the holy relics, Humble and Sacred?”

According to Sparkle, only Arisa returned from Gevihennum. Alone.

But according to the World Tree old lady, when the Demon King was sealed, everyone except me was there.

Then, where are Paulo and Luna? What are they doing?

At that time, we were strong. We were strong enough that the other three Legion Commanders avoided fighting us.

There’s no way those guys would have died on their way home.

But I don’t know why they weren’t with us. Furthermore, this is information that I definitely wouldn’t be able to find even if I entered the forbidden archive.

The Empire’s forbidden archive is a place where information about the empire, information that should definitely remain hidden, is kept. So, there wouldn’t be any information about holy relics, which are related to the Holy Kingdom.

But it’s not like I can’t find out anything.

A powerful figure like Fabiana, who is right in front of me, might know.

And that hunch was correct.

“I know.”

Fabiana, who was trying to gauge my intentions, asked cautiously.

“But the answer to this question carries great weight. No, you already know. The exchange between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom… you already know, right?”

“…Yeah, well.”

They couldn’t have gotten rid of what we forcibly made 400 years ago.

It was a contract that was imbued with Kaloso’s magic, Luna’s divine power, and the power of two holy relics.

In simple terms, it was a peace treaty.

Even if war breaks out among humans or demons, the Empire and the Holy Kingdom would “unconditionally” join hands and work together.

A lot of conditions were attached, but I didn’t remember them.

I only remember that it’s a contract inherited by blood.

“I won’t… ask about the source. I’m such a generous princess and senior.”

“…Yeah, thank you.”

“Okay. The answer to that question is…”

Fabiana, who was tapping the table lightly, responded with a slightly more forceful voice.

“Humble and Sacred didn’t return.”

Her fist clenched tightly at the same time.

“But other things did.”

“Other things?”

“The weapons of the hero, Arisa Eustetia.”

It was information that I already knew.

But there was something I didn’t know.

“Where are they?”

I don’t know where my weapons are.

I couldn’t find them in my father’s study, the library, or anywhere else.

“That, I don’t know. And if I don’t know, then it’s safe to assume that even the imperial family doesn’t know.”

“…Are you saying… that Arisa hid them?”

“That’s what we have to assume. There was no information about them even in the forbidden archive.”

“What about Arisa’s whereabouts?”

“Only rumors remain, that she disappeared with all of her weapons.”

“She disappeared…”

I sighed and sunk into the sofa.

Paulo and Luna weren’t dead.

But their whereabouts were unknown.

And Arisa, who brought all those weapons, disappeared.

Even the empire can’t find her.

What about the Holy Kingdom? Well… I don’t know.

If even the Empire doesn’t know, there’s no reason why the Holy Kingdom would.

“However, there’s a bit of information about what Arisa Eustetia did before she disappeared.”

At her words, I looked up at Fabiana.

But Fabiana gave a mysterious smile and raised her index finger.

“But now, it’s my turn to ask.”

I thought she would ask why I was curious.

It seems she doesn’t plan to ask for the reason.

She’s truly a bold princess, no matter how you look at it.

“…Okay. Go ahead.”

As such, I also nodded willingly.

“Then I’ll ask. Eliaernes, you were at the 4th tier before you went into the labyrinth. But when you encountered the demon, you immediately rose to the 5th tier. What kind of magic did you use?”

“…Are you seriously asking me that?”

“I’m seriously asking.”

I lost a bit of my energy at Fabiana’s serious gaze.

“I am willing to answer whatever question you have truthfully.”

“That’s very generous.”

“But is that all… is that what you’re going to ask?”

“Yes. Right now, that’s what I’m most curious about. And to me, it’s not a ‘trivial’ question, it’s a very important one.”

Fabiana, who was pointing at herself with her raised finger, chuckled softly.

“Though it’s embarrassing, I’m currently stuck at the 6th tier. I can’t even feel the barrier to reach the 7th tier, nor do I see the path.”

“Being at the 6th tier at your age is amazing.”

“That’s right. I’m a genius. But I’m just a genius. I can’t be like the Empire’s Six Pillars or a monster like you. Nor should I. I need to become stronger than I am now.”

“You didn’t ask for my reason, but I want to ask yours. Why do you want to become stronger?”

“I won’t answer that, since I didn’t ask for your reason.”

For a moment, the usual composure and arrogance disappeared from Fabiana’s face, but it quickly returned.

“So, what’s the answer?”

I looked at Fabiana for a moment, and then shrugged and said,

“I’ll tell you, but even if you hear it… you won’t be able to do it.”

“That’s an incredibly arrogant statement, dismissing a princess like me. But it makes me want to hear it more. Tell me.”

“You have to tear your ‘Dantian’ to expand it.”

“…That’s… a very strange thing to say.”

“There’s nothing strange about it, I really mean it literally.”

I picked up the teapot that was next to me and poured the tea into the empty cup before me.

“Think of this teacup as your Dantian, and the tea as mana. This is the normal state, when it’s full to the brim.”

A moment later, I poured more tea into the full cup. The pink tea spilled over the edge and onto the saucer below.

“Normally, the Dantian can’t hold more mana than its limit. As your tier increases, the amount of mana your Dantian can hold increases, and then it surges to open the Upper Dantian, reaching the level of transcendence.”

My explanation was very ambiguous, but I thought Fabiana would understand, and continued.

“Then, think in reverse. If the Dantian can’t hold any more mana, then you should expand it. And so, like this.”

I wrapped my hand in aura, and guided the overflowing tea inside my hand. The tea that was overflowing gathered into my palm.

“You expand it. The method is simple. You make the mana inside the Dantian go berserk and then control the mana to make sure the Dantian doesn’t get destroyed and you should slowly control it so that it can tear and expand bit by bit.”

After finishing my explanation, I detonated the aura wrapped around my hand and scattered the mass of tea into the air.

Because of that, a faint peach scent lingered in Fabiana’s room.

Amid the lingering peach scent, Fabiana’s gaze trembled slightly.

“So you’re saying… that you increased your tier with this method?”

“Yes.”

“Immediately after encountering the demon?”

“I did it as soon as I entered the labyrinth.”

“And it took less than a minute.”

“…Well, that’s true.”

“Mana rampage, and then the expansion of the Dantian…”

Fabiana, who was lost in thought while stroking her chin, as if mulling over my words, shook her head and clicked her tongue.

“There are many ways to commit suicide, but this is a new one.”

Then she raised her head and looked directly at me.

“But seeing that you’re sitting here and chatting with me, it seems that it’s not an impossible method. It’s true… this is a madman’s method that you can’t copy even if you know how. Intentionally causing a mana rampage and then controlling it? Is that even possible? If you make even one mistake, then your Dantian would get destroyed. No, your body would just explode and you’d die. How did you manage to do such a crazy thing?”

“Well… It’s pretty easy once you get used to it. But I only do it because if you increase your tier recklessly, you’ll have problems later.”

I don’t know much about the theory behind it, but I do know something that I heard from Paulo.

The balance between ‘Mind’, ‘Energy’, and ‘Body’.

That balance has to be more or less right in order to use and control your abilities without any problems.

This is especially something that you need to be careful about when going from the 5th to the 6th tier.

The stage where you start imbuing mana with your intent.

If you rush to that stage, you’ll hit the wall before you reach the 7th tier, let alone the 8th.

It’s a natural result of having a weak foundation.

That’s why, instead of recklessly raising your tier, it’s important to build a strong foundation and climb slowly.

However, I had no other choice in this case.

I wouldn’t have been able to kill that demon if I couldn’t use ‘Aura’, so I had no choice but to tear my Dantian.

That’s why I’m so weak right now.

My mind and energy are somewhat balanced, but my body is lacking.

“Anyway, well… It’s not really my place to say, but you’ll have big problems if you use this method. So, I think it’d be best if you build up a strong foundation and rise slowly.”

“That’s like you burning addictive magic grass while telling me not to do it. Haha, really…”

Fabiana, who now seemed tired, let out a dry laugh, and closed her eyes.

“It’s as I expected. And that fact is, in a way, comforting.”

“What is?”

“The strange movement you showed during the battle. When it seemed like you were about to strike vertically, you’d cut horizontally, and when it seemed horizontal, you’d soar vertically. That movement was because of the mana rampage… no, you twisted your body by detonating the mana that was spread through your joints, right?”

“Oh…”

That was correct.

As Fabiana said, it was a method where I intentionally detonated the mana spread through my body to limit, twist, and reverse my movements.

I heard that my mana would flash brightly each time I did that, and the demons called me a cursed star.

Whatever, that was right.

“You were a madman who threw your life away in battle.”

“Isn’t that how every battle is? All beings have to throw away their lives.”

“You know that’s not what I meant, right? The mana explosion. The control of movement because of it. And the method you used to increase your tier, that was also insane. It’s the same as what you told me now. It’s something that would undoubtedly twist your limbs and kill you if you made even one mistake, but you do it like it’s nothing… It’s now so bizarre that it’s beyond extraordinary.”

“…Well, that’s just how geniuses are.”

I’m talking like it’s nothing now.

But I know it’s insane.

But I had no choice.

I needed to make way for Paulo.
I needed to keep up with Arisa’s movements.
I needed to protect Luna as she prepared her miracle.
I had to buy time until Kaloso’s grand spell was completed.

But I lacked talent.

I couldn’t wield a sword like Paulo.
I didn’t have the crazy physical abilities of a chimpanzee.
I couldn’t perform miracles like Luna.
Nor could I use magic like Kaloso.

So, I had to fight as if I was carving away my very bones.

In fact, just as Fabiana said, my limbs twisted several times due to my mistakes.

My ‘Dantian’ warped and almost shattered.

If it weren’t for Luna’s miracles, and Arisa’s exceptional mana control, I would have died a long time ago.

But I have no regrets.

I’m actually satisfied.

Thanks to all of that, I was able to slaughter all the demons I wanted.

“It wasn’t the answer I wanted, but it was still a satisfying answer. Thank you.”

Fabiana, who had been lost in thought, sipped her now cold tea and chuckled softly.

“Now it’s time for me to answer your question.”

What Arisa did before she disappeared.

“She took on a disciple. And in order to receive the duke’s title and territory—“

Fabiana’s lips twitched, as if she were trying to hold back her laughter.

“—she is rumored to have brutally assaulted the then-emperor, Fotinus de Hermann the Great.”