NOVEL NEXT Chapter 218
At that moment, in the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess.
“Hmm. Quite perplexing.”
The Pope of the Order paused for a moment to consider the report that had flown in from the Direction of the System.
“We’re betting three Holy Swords on finding the Sorceress of Crimson Lotus. Is the Sorceress more important to the Hero…?”
The Pope frowned at the three pictures laid out on the table.
“This is troubling. We were intending to secure the Sorceress ourselves.”
Lucius. Liriez. And the Sorceress of Crimson Lotus.
The Pope had placed the picture of the Witch right next to Liriez’s, but he kept moving it around between Lucius and Liriez.
“If they’re asking me to choose one, I suppose my heart would lean toward Hero Lucius. After all, he’s my own disciple.”
The Pope let out a deep sigh.
“No matter how heroic, in the end, they are still human. No, it’s because they are human that they were chosen as Heroes. The masters of this world are humans.”
He picked up the picture of the Witch.
“Do you know? Three Holy Swords are at stake regarding your whereabouts. The entire continent is looking for you. And…”
He grinned.
“I know where you are.”
No one else knew the whereabouts of the Witch, but the Pope did.
If someone found out, they would rush over and grab him by the collar, demanding answers, but unfortunately, he was currently ‘dueling’ with a Hero.
“If I send my subordinates, they’ll surely devour the information halfway, and if I take action myself, those fools will move right away. Tsk. It’s really frustrating when it comes to this.”
The Pope idly fiddled with his golden hair flowing from under his robe’s hood, chuckling grimly.
“In this case, I have no choice but to take the initiative myself.”
Ding-ding-ding.
He rang the bell on the table.
“Have you found it, Your Holiness?”
“Call Liriez Cesarcross of the Holy Knight Order to the temple. And bring Hero Lucius and his party along as well.”
“That may not be an easy task. The Hero is currently frantic about finding his master, the Witch.”
“Precisely why I’m saying this.”
The Pope rose from his seat, spreading his arms toward the Blue Moon peeking through the stained glass behind him.
“The Goddess of the Crescent Moon has delivered a prophecy.”
“P-prophecy…?!”
“Yes. The Saintess might already have some inkling, but perhaps she doesn’t know entirely. It seems it was told to me alone.”
“Is that really true?”
“Indeed. As you well know, our current Saintess… may be closer to a Saintess of the Hero Party than to that of the Order of the Goddess.”
“The blood of the Diere family… Ah, that’s not important. My apologies.”
“It’s quite alright.”
The Pope clasped his hands together in prayer.
“Convey this to the Hero. The Goddess has heard your earnest prayers. And when you come, be sure to bring ‘them’ all with you.”
“By ‘them,’ you mean?”
“From what I hear.”
The Pope picked up two of the pictures.
“The Witch, whom the Hero searches for so desperately, left behind a clone. I wish to speak with that Witch, as the Pope of the Order of the Goddess.”
*
Crash.
The Holy Spear Trident flew through the air and embedded itself in the ground.
Liriez was unable to swallow even her saliva as the golden blade was aimed at her neck.
“I am the victor, Liriez Cesarcross.”
“…Ah, it seems I have been overwhelmingly defeated.”
Liriez raised her two unarmed hands in surrender.
She could retrieve the Trident and fight again, but as a knight, she conceded.
“I lost fairly, with skill alone. I acknowledge that you are the Witch’s Hero.”
“Recognition aside, I was the first to be the Master’s Hero from the beginning.”
Lucius returned the Holy Sword to its sheathe and transformed it into a ring.
And Liriez retrieved the Trident and transformed it into a necklace.
“You are indeed the Hero trained directly by the Witch.”
“It was a very close call.”
“No, I could definitely feel it. Unlike me, who merged with the clone of the Witch, you have united many times with the true Witch. That must have made the difference in our victory.”
Liriez sighed while smiling wryly.
“How unfortunate that I, not you, was the first Hero to meet the Witch.”
“It wasn’t as a Hero that we met. I merely encountered my Master first.”
Lucius calmly gazed up at the night sky.
“I believe my Master didn’t care who she met first. Whether one was a woman or a man, an elder or a child. Even if it weren’t a human, she would not have cared. Even those deemed unredeemable, she guided them toward the path of a true Hero.”
“So you think you’re currently walking the path of a true Hero?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I want to find my Master. I haven’t yet found the path I should take.”
“I see.”
Liriez also steadied her breath as she looked at the shining Blue Moon in the night sky.
“I have found my path. What the Goddess of the Crescent Moon taught me, and what the Witch showed me. When I combined everything, I saw the path that I, Liriez Cesarcross, must walk.”
“What kind of path?”
“A path of helping the Witch.”
Certainty gleamed in Liriez’s eyes.
“Helping the Witch is both the mission given to me by the Goddess of the Crescent Moon and the duty I must carry out as the Hero of the Holy Sword. I have realized that.”
“Isn’t that just your wish?”
“That’s why it is even more of a mission. When desire and mission point toward the same path, humans can become extremely motivated. Don’t you think?”
“I can relate.”
Is it because they are both Heroes?
Or is there some common understanding between them?
Lucius secretly disliked that he could relate to Liriez’s words.
“Helping is up to you. However, I won’t forgive anyone trying to take my place.”
“I acknowledge that. But don’t forget, I have a chance too.”
“Huh?”
“If.”
Liriez pointed to the sky.
“If I save the Witch and she ‘graduates’ you, then takes me as her disciple?”
“…That’s impossible.”
“No, it isn’t. The difference between you and me is just whether I learned directly from the Witch. If I learn from the Witch, I could become stronger than you.”
“Ugh…”
He should say that’s not the case, but Lucius found himself unable to respond.
“If the Witch truly accepts me as her disciple, you should simply give up.”
“That’s never going to happen, but if you do become the Master’s disciple… I will do exactly what you did.”
“Trying to take my place?”
“There’s only one position.”
No matter how much two Heroes fight against each other, ultimately, the only one who can sit before the Witch’s slate, at the desk, is the one chosen by the Witch.
Can two people sit there happily?
That’s simply not going to happen.
“I have one question.”
“What is it?”
“Back then, when we piloted the Spirit Device in Count Odrone’s Territory. How did you pilot it with the Master?”
“…Ah, right. You haven’t piloted with the Witch yet, have you?”
Liriez smiled broadly and sat down on the ground, patting her thigh.
“She sat directly on top of me. Her backside right on my thigh.”
“…If that’s the case, I also…”
“You’ve never piloted a Spirit Device, have you?”
“…But I have ridden a Sea Dragon. I gripped the Master’s waist tightly from behind.”
“……”
“……”
Whew.
The wind blew.
The cold and biting wind blowing across the night field felt particularly sharp today.
“Over there.”
From afar, the problematic Witch approached.
Maybe it was because it was dark, or perhaps because Satan had mixed three colors at the end.
Especially, a Witch with crimson hair that resembled the red-haired Witch.
“The Saintess says she has something to discuss.”
*
In the Bride Ship, on the Command Room.
“The Goddess has delivered a revelation. We must go to the temple.”
Everyone fell silent at the Saintess’s words.
More precisely, they looked at Lucius for his reaction.
“What should we do, Lucius? Should we go to the temple?”
“…In such situations, Master always decided the path.”
Lucius turned to us.
Those were intense eyes that seemed to demand an immediate conclusion, and we could only arrive at one conclusion.
“We need to go. To the temple.”
Are we going to the temple, where the influence of the Goddess of the Crescent Moon is strongest, following her guidance?
There were risks involved.
But if the Goddess of the Crescent Moon is plotting to secure all the Holy Swords, it could be seen as the best opportunity.
In the past.
Just as the Demon God forcibly cast the Holy Wind Sword to the ground, losing its power.
If the Goddess of the Crescent Moon intends to intervene in the Intermediate Realm, it could reverse that and weaken the Goddess’s influence.
“Let’s go to the temple, Lucius. I feel like we need to.”
“Understood. Then…”
Lucius glanced around at the people in the Command Room.
First, four Bells.
Rosmas.
Droniel.
Yan.
And…
“It’s a bit awkward to have the Holy Knight Commander aboard, but since you are a Hero, let’s travel together on this ship.”
“Are you that worried about me? The Wind Hero?”
“That’s precisely why I’m concerned.”
Lastly, Liriez Cesarcross.
It was unfortunate that because Yan gathered people on the Bride Ship, Liriez ended up boarding it.
As a combat member, she was satisfactory.
However, the subtle conflict with Lucius, who is also a Hero, made it difficult to approach.
Naturally.
In this world, there’s only one Hero who receives the attention of the world.
No matter how selfless everyone is, as long as they are both Heroes, they can’t help but be aware of each other.
“The Blue Master should take the captain’s position.”
“Sure.”
Blue Bel naturally settled into the captain’s seat.
“I’ll be doing some research within the Bride Ship.”
“Then I’ll handle the kitchen of the Bride Ship.”
Green Bel and Orange Bel claimed their roles one after another.
Now, only Purple Bel was left.
“Could you take a moment to see me?”
“Uh, okay?”
Lucius wanted to create a separate space with me.
Other ‘me’s waved at me, and I followed Lucius outside the Command Room with a trembling heart.
What is it?
Could it be that my excessive operation of clones got me exposed as the Demon King?
Did the Holy Sword ultimately side with Lucius and betray me?
“I’d like to ask a favor of you, Purple Master.”
“What do you want?”
Lucius lowered his voice to match the height of my doll, looking me in the eyes.
“You know that secret thing we do every dawn.”
“Yes, th-that thing… I’m a doll, though? That’s….”
“I need to do something else during that time. I’ll seek help from the other Masters, so you focus on Liriez for the time being.”
“What do you plan to do?”
“…Can the Purple Master move from the doll’s body to Marine’s body?”
“…For now?”
“Then.”
Lucius lowered his voice even further.
“Every dawn, please prevent Liriez from coming out. By any means necessary.”