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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
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Chapter 85
“Hahaha! We found out everything, Karl!”
“As expected of someone so proactive! You even made a public confession!”
“What are you guys talking about again? Please, I beg you, explain it in a way I can understand.”
At Karl’s words, we all giggled and pouted our lips slightly. Honestly, it was a bit creepy, but for this moment, we could endure it a hundred times over for a different purpose.
“…”
Then, the Medal of Honor recipient’s face started to turn red.
“No way, you guys.”
“We thought Selena was acting strange, so we slyly asked her!”
“And?”
“Selena kept denying it, but you know what they say?”
“A strong denial is…”
“A strong affirmation!!”
Karl’s immediate reaction confirmed that our prediction was correct.
He suddenly drew his greatsword from its sheath and charged straight at us.
“Guys. Let’s have a serious talk for a moment.”
“Whoa! Count Friedrich’s Heir! You shouldn’t do this!”
“As fellow heirs, let’s talk. You damn fools.”
“Maintain your dignity! You shouldn’t act like that towards future counts!!”
I remember what Remus said. He thought Karl would be a cold and difficult person.
But seeing him like this, he’s more easygoing and surprisingly open, making him someone you want to befriend.
A hero who accomplished great things. A savior who rescued countless lives. But to us, he’s just a friend.
The way he acted earlier was honestly quite shocking for us to see.
It seemed like he was about to burst into tears. I thought he might even cry tears of blood. He had never looked so weak before. I had never even thought of him that way.
I’d rather see his fierce look when he faced those intruders during the festival.
At least at that moment, it was just a bit of worry and a bit of surprise. I’ve never been this worried about him before.
So, today, we teased Karl a bit more than usual. Wilhelm, Alexander, Joachim, and I.
Even though others called him a war hero, he considered himself just an ordinary soldier who fought alongside true heroes.
For Karl, who carries the weight of guilt in his heart despite the numerous medals on his chest.
“Whoa! Wait a minute! You actually cut my hair, Karl!”
“Yeah, I swung it to cut it.”
“Huh?!”
…It seems we crossed the line a bit. Or maybe Karl is more vulnerable to embarrassment than we thought! Uwaaaah!!
“Run! Karl’s gone crazy!”
“Guys, wouldn’t it be better to come over here while I’m still asking nicely?”
“Help!”
“Don’t worry, you won’t die. I’ll just draw a little blood, painlessly.”
“How is that painless!!”
We scattered in all directions. But Karl was much faster and more agile than us, and above all, he was a skilled hunter who knew how to corner his prey.
“Hey, why are you coming out from there! I told you to scatter!”
“Karl drove us here! Uwaaaah!”
“Why is Alexander coming out from over there?!”
“It’s the same for me!!”
Exactly five minutes after scattering, we were all cornered in one place again.
There was nowhere to run. The plan for one of us to distract him while the other three escaped also failed.
In the end, we decided to ask the only person who could stop Karl.
“There she is! It’s Selena!”
“Selena! Help! Karl’s trying to kill us!”
“…Karl is trying to kill you?”
“Well, not exactly… Anyway! Can you stop him?!”
Selena, who had been watching us for a moment, smiled brightly. Phew, we’re saved. Thank you so much, Sele—
“Don’t worry. Karl will let you go painlessly.”
“Se-Selena?!”
“I trust Karl.”
How can you possibly trust him right now?! Eek!! Run! He’s thrown his greatsword!
We scattered in every direction once more, just as Karl’s greatsword slammed into a nearby rock with a deafening thud.
It was a rock that seemed like it wouldn’t budge even if you bombarded it with firearms or magic. But when Karl thrust his greatsword into it, it cracked open in a matter of seconds!
No way, Karl! Were you serious?! You weren’t really trying to kill us, were you? Right?!
“…Huh?”
But then, Wilhelm, who was running away, suddenly let out a gasp and slowed down.
I thought the guy had lost his mind. I wondered if he was so surprised that he was going to surrender, so I turned my head and—
“…Huh?”
The same gasp as Wilhelm’s escaped my mouth.
Inside the rock that Karl had split with his greatsword, there was a sword. Although it was severely damaged and worn, it emanated an extraordinary aura.
* * *
Let me ask you a question. It’s not difficult. It’s a probability problem.
Is it more likely that you randomly fire a shot and it pierces the heart of an enemy commander in one blow?
Or is it more likely that you just break a rock and find a lost sacred relic of the Church inside?
Hmm. Still, the former is slightly more likely than the latter—
‘…Nonsense. Neither of them makes any sense.’
No matter how much I thought about it, something was wrong. This was truly absurd. It went beyond the realm of ‘good luck.’
The day after the memorial service, when I was just messing around and split the rock in two, I showed the sword that popped out of the rock to the Church, just in case. Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
“Gasp?! Th, this is… Could it be?!?”
“I-I think it’s right. I think it’s right! It is! It’s certain! This crest! This aura!”
“It’s divine providence. A revelation of the Light! This, this must be called a miracle!!”
They were practically ready to start worshiping the damaged sword right then and there.
They clasped their hands tightly, shedding tears and praying. With all due respect to the Radiant Church, for a moment, it felt like I was witnessing a cult.
And not long after, Cardinal Beolant, whom I had just seen yesterday, came to our lodging near the hot spring.
His usual calmness was nowhere to be found, and he was even breathing heavily, clearly in a state of urgency.
“…Oh my God.”
Such a murmur escaped the Cardinal’s lips. It seemed that this was indeed what they were looking for.
‘The Sword of Saint Louis.’
The sword is said to have been used by Saint Louis, one of the first revealers who spread the name of the Light.
The sword that protected the faithful and showed no mercy to those who slandered and oppressed them. According to them, it was a sacred relic that the Goddess herself crafted with light and bestowed upon them.
‘…Honestly, I don’t know if it was really made of light.’
It was obviously very old, with many scars here and there. And above all, it didn’t shine at all…
Of course, I only thought this to myself. If I dared to say it out loud, even I would get stoned.
“Brother Karl Adelheit.”
Cardinal Beolant, who had been gently stroking the sword, called my name.
His voice seemed to have a hint of moisture in it, and indeed, his eyes were moist.
“You called, Your Eminence?”
“How, how did you find this? Ah! Absolutely! Absolutely not a question with ill intentions. Just, just curious about how you came to possess this—”
It seemed like the Cardinal was about to kneel, so I quickly explained the situation.
Yesterday evening, after returning to the lodging from the memorial service, I was fooling around and smashed a rock.
I didn’t think it would be a problem since there were rocks everywhere around.
But as soon as the rock split, this thing popped out!
“I see. I see. So… that’s how it happened.”
“….”
Are you alright, Your Eminence? You’re not feeling disappointed, are you?
That something you’ve been searching for for decades was found so easily.
Is the painful label of the 4th Diocese’s blemish being resolved so simply, is just too absurd to bear?
“Ah, my apologies, Your Eminence.”
“Brother?”
“I never imagined that a sacred relic could be slumbering within a rock. If this precious artifact has been damaged in any way because of me…”
Honestly, this was my biggest concern. The sword already looked quite worn and damaged, and it had to pop out when I split the rock.
It would be quite awkward if someone said, ‘This damage seems to have been caused by a strong impact when the rock was split.’ I’m afraid of being labeled a heretic for damaging a sacred relic.
“Hahaha.”
But I could put those worries aside. The Cardinal was laughing so kindly.
“Brother Karl, Saint Louis, the former owner of this relic, once said, ‘No matter how precious something may be, it is not more important than a person. We, the first creations of the Goddess, are the most radiant of all.'”
“….”
“And he also said, ‘Everything happens according to the Goddess’s will.’ In this old man’s eyes, even the fact that you found this sacred relic is her will. How can I say otherwise?”
Cardinal Beolant, who had been so desperately searching for and cherishing this sacred relic, gently pushed it aside.
Then, he gently took my hand and continued speaking in a voice filled with emotion.
“You are a benefactor of our 4th Diocese. No, a benefactor of the Church. If this is not Goddess’s will, then what is? You saved the brothers and sisters of the empire, who share the teachings of the Goddess with our Church, with nothing but courage and valor, and prevented further sins. This is truly a miracle.”
At the Cardinal’s words, I unconsciously looked down at my chest.
“….”
Um, you’re not thinking of awarding me a medal from the Church too, are you? Please, no more.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
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