NOVEL NEXT Chapter 227
“Is it real that it took an hour?”
“That’s because I used the power of all four Holy Swords at once.”
The Bride Ship soared into the sky in an instant and arrived at the Sky Island.
“Master, please stay in the command room. I’ll move the Spirit Device to the Bride Ship right away.”
“Alright, got it.”
Lucius boarded the Spirit Device alone, skillfully maneuvered it, and got it onto the Bride Ship before I could say anything.
Whirr.
Before the Wind Spirit Device stood the Earth Spirit Device.
Thanks to Lucius, the Spirit Device had fully recovered from its wounds and seemed to be proudly spreading its shoulders as if refusing to be outdone by the Wind Spirit Device.
“Lucius, are you okay?”
“After awakening, I quickly picked up the control method. Ah, later—”
Lucius hesitated, as if he wanted to say something more.
“No, never mind.”
“That’s a relief. I shouldn’t show a clumsy appearance when igniting the main body, right?”
“…Right.”
Lucius scratched his head, appearing bashful.
“Master, there’s a huge problem.”
“What is it?”
“The name.”
Lucius looked very serious.
“The Spirit Device says that it shouldn’t reveal its true name to anyone who isn’t truly trustworthy.”
“I can understand that. The main body must also have known its true name and has been hiding. If you know the true name, you can control it.”
The main body called the Earth Demon God ‘Bahamut,’ which was a decisive revelation.
Lucius’s Spirit Device was no different.
“Don’t tell me either.”
“Shouldn’t I at least tell my master?”
“What I mean is, if you want to speak with the main body, do so with the main body, and don’t tell me, as a clone.”
“…Understood.”
Lucius seemed quite pleased.
“Thank goodness, I’m not in pain.”
“So what should we name it?”
“Well… we need to think of ‘The Deal with the Pope.’ Will you accept it?”
“Yes.”
The Deal with the Pope.
That was to conceal the truth.
It meant considering the Position of the Order, so that the doctrine of the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess and the world’s truths would not be exposed.
“If the real master is at the place the Pope mentioned, then that’s fine. But…”
Lucius licked his lips and turned his eyes towards the Spirit Device.
“…Would it be okay to take a refreshing run to the Papal Office?”
“Of course. The Bride Ship—”
“I’ll leave behind the three Holy Swords.”
“…That’s fine.”
I piloted the Bride Ship, and Lucius controlled the Spirit Device.
“The main body has to become proficient enough to yell ‘Lucius, run—!’ later, right?”
“Of course. And while we run, I’ll think of a name.”
“Oh, I have some thoughts for a moniker. It’s something the main body thought of before.”
“…What is it?”
Lucius paused, about to board the Spirit Device, and turned his head to me.
“Did you come up with a name for the Spirit Device…?”
“Yes. Just in case it needs to be called something else, how about this name?”
I cautiously opened my mouth.
“Golden Mount.”
*
The world’s circumstances are rapidly changing.
The fall of the Arpe Empire.
The rise of the Anari Principality.
And the destruction of the Demon King’s Army that caused a commotion across the continent.
Not all demons have disappeared.
However, it is clear that some of the Demon King’s Army still remains.
“Huh.”
The Half-Dragon, Electra, was now sitting on the ruins of the Scouter’s castle, which had become a territory of the former empire, looking up at the sky.
Thanks to the blessing of the Moon Goddess, relatively many women survived in the empire.
Demons had to deliberately lure the women to places where the moonlight could not reach in order to kill them.
– Ugh, how bothersome! Just kill all the men!
Those who simply wanted to kill humans did not discriminate between men and women.
Fruits that could be eaten in one bite without peeling.
Fruits that required a lot of effort just to peel.
It goes without saying which was more preferable for the impatient demons, who only wanted to eat fruit.
However.
Many humans survived.
Even if nearly one-fifth of the empire’s population was killed by the Demon King’s Army, conversely, that means four-fifths barely managed to survive.
Gender imbalance.
Political system collapse.
Loss of capital.
Such things don’t matter as long as they can survive.
At least, that’s what humans must think.
“…But the Demon King’s Army is still out there.”
In the distance, demons could be seen lurking around the Scouter territory.
Electra pulled out her sniper rifle from under her robe and quickly loaded a magical bullet, aiming it at the demons.
Click.
Bang!
With a brief gunshot, the magical bullet flew through the night sky, piercing a demon’s shoulder.
“Tch.”
Electra quickly put away her sniper rifle and moved away from her position as a Lycanthrope flew towards her, slashing with its claws. Electra flapped her wings and distanced herself from the attacker.
“A monster from Asydia…!”
“Heh, isn’t that just a minion of the fallen Satan?!”
Electra glared at the Lycanthrope, standing on the rooftop’s flagpole.
“Then you should’ve entered Asydia sooner!”
“Shut up.”
“You ended up losing to the Holy Wind Sword, didn’t you? You even just handed over three Holy Swords to one hero. Heh.”
“Shut up, I said.”
Bang.
Electra’s magical bullet pierced the Lycanthrope’s abdomen.
“Ugh…! How strong! This Glashalavalas, it’s been 500 years since I’ve felt such exhilarating pain!”
The Lycanthrope hit its hole-ridden body and erupted in laughter.
“Yes! This exhilarating pain after 500 years! This is truly the thrill of battle!”
“You’re insane.”
“You don’t understand. 500 years ago, how fierce the world was. Hehehe.”
“I don’t care. The only thing I’m interested in is my father’s body.”
Growl.
Electra’s eyes elongated into slits as she unleashed her aura.
“I will definitely claim the body of the Demon Lord, the Black Dragon you summoned.”
“A daughter wanting to reclaim her father’s remains, how full of filial piety! Very well! This Glashalavalas will assess your strength as a minion of the Demon Lord! Let’s—”
In a flash!
At the moment they were about to attack each other, the entire sky turned golden.
A golden hole opened up in the dark night’s curtain, and something unknown began to descend slowly from above.
“An… Angel?”
Flap.
A massive golden entity with dozens of wings on its back looked like both a golem and an angel.
Though it resembled a human shape, it was a distorted presence that was more angular than someone clad in full plate armor.
“Graaargh!!”
In an instant, Glashalavalas’s body began to burn away.
Like an undead set alight by sunlight, Glashalavalas hurriedly attempted to escape into the darkness.
“Ah….”
Electra stared blankly at the colossal entity and gasped.
A warm breeze swirled around that sacred yet alien being.
Flap.
The giant entity spread its wings and flew away towards some destination.
That direction was to the south of the continent, and Electra swallowed hard, looking up at the sky after the massive golden entity had vanished.
“…Could it be that the rumors are true?”
When the moment comes for the Demon King’s Army to begin dominating the world.
When circumstances arise that the Intermediate Realm cannot cope with using only its own strength.
“The Moon Goddess will descend from the heavens with angels to rescue the crises of the Intermediate Realm.”
Will the Moon Goddess truly come to save the world?
I don’t know.
Electra merely wants to recover her father’s remains.
Whether or not the gods will listen to the prayers of Electra, the half-dragon, she prayed towards the golden angel appearing in the sky.
“Please, may I annihilate Asydia and reclaim my father’s flesh. And….”
Crack.
“May I defeat the Demon Lord Bel Phegor, summoned from Asydia.”
Electra prayed repeatedly towards the golden angel flying far to the south.
Hoping that her wishes could somehow reach the Moon Goddess.
*
Thud.
The Wind Spirit Device, tentatively named [Golden Mount Belkaiser]—a name given by Lucius—landed right in the center of the Papal Office.
“Oh, is this the Wind Spirit Device…!”
The Pope made sure to call it a Growth Device instead of a Spirit Device due to the gazes of others as he welcomed the Golden Mount.
“Oh…! If the Holy Knight Commander’s device had a graceful beauty, then Hero Lucius’s Spirit Device is truly….”
“Majestic. Large, splendid, massive, and impressive. Any man… would want to climb onto it.”
“Ugh.”
The priests of the Order also looked up at the Golden Mount, praying or gathering their thoughts.
Comparing it to Bahamut, the Demon God of the Empire, it certainly glittered, causing everyone to stare in awe.
Click.
Lucius opened the hatch of the Golden Mount and stepped outside.
Then he leaped down from a height of several meters and landed in front of the Pope, who received applause from many people.
“Hero! Hero! Hero!”
The hero who saved the people of the empire.
He is not the Holy Wind Sword, but he provided housing for the citizens using the Holy Sword of the Earth.
That virtue had already reached the Papal Office, and several priests looked at Lucius with suspicious eyes.
As if.
Using the power of the Holy Sword, he was attempting to expand the influence of the Order.
“To think that humans from the Intermediate Realm would all display a tendency to exploit anyone with even a hint of power.”
After ascending to the Sky Island with the Bride Ship, one should appreciate just presenting the Spirit Device before people’s eyes.
“This will make the world even safer. I sincerely thank you for your cooperation, Sir Lucius.”
Look at the Pope over there.
Look at those selflessly pure eyes.
“The Moon Goddess will also be pleased.”
Correction.
Look at that pure face, filled only with thoughts of using the Spirit Device, the Golden Mount, to elevate the faith of the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess.
It felt like something I had seen somewhere before, but considering it isn’t a big deal to see fanaticism, it didn’t seem particularly relevant.
“Sir Lucius. Is it alright to leave the Spirit Device outside for a moment?”
“Yes. Without the Holy Swords, no one can control it. They can’t enter either.”
Lucius pointed to the Golden Mount standing in the center of the plaza.
The power that only Lucius possesses, which no one can touch.
The gazes of people looking up at him with envy naturally have a power that even Lucius can’t help but feel a bit proud.
After all, ‘the charm of being a standout’ cannot be ignored.
“Sir Lucius, shall we head inside? Lady Witch, you may accompany us as well. The rest of you… please wait outside.”
While they were admiring the Golden Mount, the Pope called Lucius to follow him.
“I would like us to speak quietly.”