Chapter 16: Things Needed to Break the Hero

The world seemed to dim, and suddenly, a pure white space filled his vision, boundless and infinite.

Eventually, the Demon King spoke.

“First, let us consider your wishes.”

“My wishes?”

“The final goal of defeating your father remains the same, but I am speaking of the means and the process to reach that goal.”

“……?”

What was he talking about?

“In other words, it is a conversation about how you wish to win.”

“Isn’t it enough as long as I can just win?”

“Your thinking is as impoverished as ever.”

The Demon King clicked his tongue.

“As a knight, as a mage, or in some other form—as long as you achieve victory, that is all that matters. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Well….”

Wasn’t that sufficient?

In the first place, it was an impossible assumption.

A realm that could not even be approached through imagination.

Not simply because he was objectively his father, but because the man was currently one of the top powerhouses on the continent.

The Nine Heroes were always treated as exceptions when discussing the strongest on the continent.

And the primary culprit for such a classification was none other than his father, Lueld.

In the case of the other Nine Heroes, while it was true they were among the continent’s elite, it couldn’t be said that they lacked formidable competitors.

However, his father was an exception.

To put it simply, he possessed the strength to face an entire nation alone.

…Actually, even that was an understatement.

Furthermore, although the Holy Relics had been returned due to various circumstances, he still possessed the Holy Sword.

Not to mention the bond between the Berg Empire and the Religious Order.

Moreover, the fact that his mother had been the Saintess was a factor that could not be ignored.

Though there were now several Saintesses who had succeeded her.

Among the legends who survived the Demon King Invasion, the only one who steadfastly maintained her position as the Saintess was his mother, Ermina.

There was a reason why she was called the Holy Mother of her generation.

“…….”

For Kariel, who had that Holy Mother as a parent, he felt something beyond frustration—he felt bleakness.

If only a fraction of the warmth and goodwill she bestowed upon others had been shared with him.

……He would not have felt such misery in everything he did.

Regardless, that was why the Religious Order had willingly recognized Lueld as the master of the Holy Sword.

However, even this was fading slightly as time passed.

The father, the Chief of Nine Heroes and a Hero, and the Saintess.

And the Empire.

The fact that Kariel was to be betrothed to Elhermina meant that it symbolically represented the perfect union of the Empire, the Religious Order, and the Hero.

If Kariel had been a bit more shameless and thoughtless in his life.

If he had been captivated by Elhermina’s status and beauty.

If he were the type who didn’t mind being dragged around blindly.

Then, in its own way, simply conforming would have been a contribution to the peace of the Empire.

“Depending on the direction you desire, the weight and depth of the time and effort required will differ.”

“I understand what you mean.”

Regardless.

To be told to think of it suddenly—honestly, he didn’t know what to say.

He had held a sword his entire life and spent time everywhere trying to identify other aptitudes.

It had all been a waste of time.

Nothing remained.

He was born with a deficiency of mana, and lacked both the aptitude and talent to manipulate it.

Neither the sword, nor magic.

Nor anything else.

“Ah….”

“There is one thing that comes to mind, isn’t there?”

“Still… that is meaningless.”

Moreover, that wasn’t even something he could control by his own will.

Once again.

The lack of talent for manipulating mana became a stumbling block.

“I can… see spirits, but that’s as far as it goes.”

Even that was only possible in places rich with natural energy.

In the city center, like the Imperial Capital where he lived, where impure and turbid energy overflowed, even that held little meaning.

“That is because there is no specific methodology for controlling them.”

“Methodology?”

“Ear-people are born with it, like wild beasts, but for your kind, unless you have outstanding aptitude or talent, you wouldn’t even dare attempt it, would you?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Because there is no methodology. If you don’t know, you wander. It is perfectly sound common sense.”

Even so.

“Since this doesn’t align with your aptitude either, perceive it only as a supplementary means.”

After all, it was a concept of borrowing someone else’s power.

“No matter how many days you spend commanding spirits, you cannot defeat your father. And your talent in that area isn’t particularly great.”

“Is that… how it is?”

“I am speaking as someone who originated from a spirit, so I am certain. I will not accept rebuttals. If you disagree, go bring the Spirit King and ask him.”

“……Originated from a spirit?”

“When I say ‘gold,’ what comes to mind?”

“Gold?”

Kariel blinked and replied after a moment of thought.

“Light, brightness, splendor… ah, if we’re talking attributes… would it be earth?”

“Yes. But that was my first attribute.”

In terms of spirits, I possess all attributes.

“……?”

Was that even possible?

“Fools would conclude it’s vaguely impossible simply because they haven’t discovered it, but this is a stark reality. If you’re curious, summon the Spirit King and ask.”

“That….”

The more he dug, the more mysterious she became.

But.

Not only was she a being who had once been a spirit and became a member of the Demon Race, but she had actually become the Demon King?

What on earth was this case?

“Then… is the fact that I can see you related to that?”

“Halfway?”

The Demon King didn’t bother to give a satisfying explanation.

That wasn’t an aptitude for seeing or feeling spirits.

…But there was no need to tell him now.

“Anyway, you are hopeless in areas that primarily deal with mana, including magic. If you want to solve that, you’ll need external help.”

“External… meaning, you’re saying I need a tool? As a supplementary means?”

“Yes. That’s what you had in mind, right?”

As the Demon King snapped her fingers, images and text appeared in the air.

The shape of a human body.

A sword.

And a book.

Small words were written beneath them: Body, Tool, and Means.

“Everything is determined by the harmony of these three. Take your father as an example.”

In the Tool section, the word ‘Sword’ appeared.

And ‘Holy Sword’ and ‘Holy Relic’ were added as primary armaments.

In the Means section, ‘Imperial Sword Form’ was listed as the fundamental swordsmanship.

As a supplement, ‘Lueld’s unique irregular combat techniques’ acquired in actual battle.

And as an Arcane Secret, the words ‘Six Great Radiances’ were added.

The five archangels, and the being who became the progenitor and symbol of the current Golden Dragon Knights.

It was Lueld’s Exclusive Vision, said to be a realization of the miracles shown by the Gold Dragon, who was told to have saved the world once, through his own insights.

Once.

…Kariel believed that he too would eventually learn that Arcane Secret as time passed.

But now, he had fallen into a position where he had to dismantle and break it.

“And the foundation that allowed him to achieve those two is, ultimately, Lueld’s own strong body.”

Even if one holds the Holy Sword, it is meaningless if the body wielding it is a mess.

No matter how steadfast the spirit, if the body does not follow, it is only half a victory.

In fact, the reason Lueld acquired the qualities of a Hero was that his fundamental conditions were perfect.

None other than body and mind.

Even before obtaining the Holy Sword, even when his Imperial Sword Form was clumsy.

He was already a superior combatant.

However.

Considering the starting points of the Nine Heroes, Lueld was the weakest at that time.

“Even immediately after obtaining the Holy Sword, he was still the weakest.”

“Is that so?”

“It was only when he could fully wield the Holy Sword that he became equal to the others.”

In other words, it would be correct to say that everyone except Lueld was truly off the charts.

If they hadn’t been there, even if Lueld had held the Holy Sword, he would have died or been broken long ago.

“The situation reversed once he donned the Holy Relics.”

From that point, he became an unprecedented existence.

Usually, a single Holy Sword is overwhelming enough, but to be recognized by the Holy Relics and be able to borrow that power comprehensively?

“Around that time, I realized my mistake. It was within my expectations, but still, this is a bit much, isn’t it?”

The thought that God was cheating like this because the Middle Realm seemed likely to be ruined made her head ache a bit.

“Having heard this far, have you thought about what you need?”

“…Isn’t it all of it?”

“That’s obvious. But don’t you feel strongly that there is something irreplaceable?”

“The Holy Sword?”

“Yes. That.”

Even if he grew his skills and trained his body.

How could he, who had neither the Holy Sword nor the Holy Relics, possibly defeat Lueld?

Or should he appeal to emotion and ask him to duel without using the Holy Sword?

It might be possible, but….

“You don’t particularly like that, do you?”

“Not at all.”

Even if he won.

He would not be able to erase the impression that the other had intentionally lost.

Whether Lueld sincerely acknowledged him or not, such a thing was useless.

Only how Kariel himself felt and accepted it mattered.

That was what was important.

“I want him to be in full condition, wearing not only the Holy Sword but also the Holy Relics.”

“Then you’ll have to find something similar to that.”

“…Is that possible?”

Only a skeptical conclusion came to mind.

“Here, they are classified as Holy Swords, Holy Spears, and Holy Relics, but there are similar things in the Demon Realm.”

“…Surely?”

“Magic Armor. It should be recorded similarly in your history books, shouldn’t it?”

“No. To be precise, they are called the relics of demons, commonly known as Demon Treasures.”

The Demon King frowned.

“Demon Treasures? Why are they treated like that? Each one of those is a divine weapon used by the leaders of each domain in the Demon Realm.”

“They are classified as spoils of war from the Great War of the Invasion.”

“And they can’t be used?”

“It is said that there are rare cases where they can.”

The fact that a war almost broke out once was partly because of that.

Those who, intoxicated by the power of Demon Treasures, believed they had a sufficient chance against Lueld and the Empire.

They had even formed an alliance to push forward simultaneously.

Of course.

…It seems that even during this period, his father alone fought across two fronts and crushed them all.

And despite using force, there was reportedly not a single casualty.

Furthermore, on the other three fronts, the other five heroes belonging to the Empire were deployed in full to resolve the situation through confrontation.

Even then, the damage was minimal.

Because it was said that the duels and even the largest battles were fought as small-scale local skirmishes.

…Who knows what the truth was.

At that time, various stories were exchanged.

As a result, the situation was settled with Kariel, instead of the princess, spending three years as a hostage in foreign lands, touring the entire continent except for the Empire.

“…….”

He couldn’t remember it, but he wondered what he had been thinking back then to do such a thing.

“…….”

“In your case, if you use Magic Armor incorrectly, I feel like you’ll be hunted as a heretic rather than just being excommunicated in the Middle Realm. How about that?”

“…Our Church of Irenis does not govern the entire continent, so as long as I don’t get entangled in that way, it should be fine.”

The Religious Order had been wary of this for a long time.

Therefore, they had announced that they had collected and sealed all of them, forming a sort of Demon Treasure archive sealed deep within the Holy See.

However, those who refused to return the Demon Treasures continued to treat them as spoils of war and legitimate possessions.

“Among them, some mastered the method of handling them in that era and announced that they would pass them down as family treasures for generations. Some great noble households and royalty of other nations were no exception.”

“The Church bastards must have been quite uncomfortable.”

“Since they do not believe in the Church of Irenis, they had nothing to lose.”

And.

“I do not believe the Church would simply keep them sealed.”

“Why?”

Now this, this is a quite dangerous fellow, isn’t he?

The Demon King barely suppressed a hum of delight.

“Both nations and religious organizations are, in a way, structures that run on power, aren’t they? By keeping them, they maintain authority and legitimacy, and when a great crisis arrives, they will conversely use them to assert another power and legitimacy of the church. I suspect they might use them to overcome a crisis and expand their influence based on that.”

He hit the core, but there were many errors in the details.

However, where else could one make such an assertion?

…Well.

If he only kept it inside, this would remain a meaningless delusion.

But the boy at least had a clear insight into what the essence of power was.

“If you don’t want to be branded a heretic, keep such things buried quietly in your heart.”

“There’s no one who would listen even if I blabbed. Let alone believe me.”

More than that, how could he bring up and accept such things as if they were obvious?

What a curious brat.

Is that why he was able to propose such a perilous deal with someone like her—the Demon King, who was more than just a source of simple fear, but a mass of taboos itself?

He was a contradictory fellow in many ways.

“Anyway, considering that you’ll be active within the Empire’s territory, handling Magic Armor will be a bit problematic.”

“…So, you’re saying I should leave the Empire?”

“That is one of the options. Depending on which path you choose, the area where you operate will be determined.”

In that sense, a question for final confirmation.

“What you desire is to defeat Lueld in full condition head-on. Is this point unchanged?”