Book 8 Chapter 12

Episode 186

It was an uninhabited island covered with cedar trees.

Lying on the white sand, Rain gazed blankly up at the mercilessly clear blue sky.

But suddenly, something bright red popped up in the corner of his vision.

"Aki is hungry."

Seeing her cheerful, smiling face perched on his chest, he couldn't scold her, and only an empty sigh escaped him.

"I can't live because of you, I really can't."

As he pulled her cheeks widely on both sides, Aki giggled, not even knowing what she had done wrong.

"Sigh."

Last night, the 4th bolt of Cremation Blast was unleashed at maximum output. With a power capable of incinerating all mortal beings existing on this land and leaving some to spare.

He was certain that power would have instantly turned a Giant Slayer and a Mage Slayer into charcoal.

Of course, that is if this voice hadn't been heard from the other side of the deck at that moment.

- Abat!

Aki… why are you here?

Had she used some kind of superhuman speed or footwork to get here without Valensidis having a chance to catch her, or had she transformed into a dragon and flown over…?

He was certain that his flames wouldn't harm him, but what about Aki? He had never tested it.

- Tsk!

That realization instantly reduced the power of the Cremation Blast to less than half.

He let go of the Mage Slayer's hand he was holding, dashed towards Aki, and embraced her tightly.

At the same time, it seemed as if the Giant Slayer had fleetingly shielded the Mage Slayer…

- 5th Bolt, 6th Bolt, 7th Bolt!

Originally, he had intended to cause a massive tidal wave with the remaining three lightning bolts and head towards the land. But would Aki also survive without drowning in that tidal wave?

Such a judgment was added, so he had to embrace Aki and jump into the sea, while simultaneously unleashing all three bolts on them.

The ship turned to ashes and dispersed over the sea surface, and while the power was certainly enough to blow away both of them, the result felt strangely unsettling.

"What are we going to do about this situation, you rascal…?"

After drifting for about half a day clinging to a plank, they had arrived at this uninhabited island, but now he felt at a loss as to what to do.

"What's that thing, call some whales with Dragon Speech. Let's ride on a whale's back."

As he abruptly sat up, Aki tilted her head.

"How do you call a whale?"

"There's Dragon Speech for that. Dragonkind are absolute lifeforms; they can command all living things."

"?"

"???"

"I don't understand what you're saying! Aki is hungry. Give me food!"

Well, fine… as long as she's healthy. He was grateful she hadn't been hurt in this incident.

What if she's a little lacking?

Let's ignore the tears that seemed to overflow from both his eyes.

"Shall we eat some grilled fish, Aki? I'll let you eat until your belly bursts."

From deep within the water, he unleashed a powerful pillar of fire once, and countless fish, half-cooked, washed up on the beach.

"Fishy-fishy-fishy! Give me fishy! Fishy-fishy!"

While the fish cooked deliciously over the bonfire, Aki danced a joyful "Pipi Dance" around the fire!

* * *

"What exactly is the problem?"

Sharon, the Deputy Commander of the 'Golden Children,' asked, completely unable to understand.

It was because of the boatmen who had brought the skiff this far.

At first, when they said they wanted to go to Linkland Island, the boatmen showed near-paroxysmal fear and kept repeating only these words:

"You can't go to that island right now, sir. You shouldn't enter without permission."

"Whose permission?"

"Th-that would be, th-the Mayor, sir."

"We came here with the Mayor's permission."

"If you've come to pray to Sir Demon Slayer, please go to the Central Cathedral… It's been a long time since he was moved, moved there."

Originally, up until 10 years ago, Linkland was an island where tourism flourished.

Because Demon Slayer, a hero of the turbulent times, had lived on that island and was buried there.

However, at some point, the flow of tourists abruptly stopped.

This was because the Karsiko City Council had moved Cassel Linkan's bones to the city's Central Cathedral.

And Linkland Island's access was blocked due to reports of unusual volcanic activity.

The Mayor of Karsiko had first announced this, and the special forces of the Magic Alliance, the Witch Association, and even previous reports from the 'Golden Children' who had conducted reconnaissance, all confirmed it.

But recently, an anonymous report came in, and the Papal Conclave dispatched the 'Golden Children' again to investigate.

"We are the Papal Conclave's 'Golden Children.' We're here on business in Linkland. We need to go there."

It seemed the boatmen had finally mustered their courage, but as soon as the boat touched Linkland Island's dock, they covered their heads with both hands and began trembling.

But no matter how much they pressed for the reason, they wouldn't answer.

Sharon sighed and spoke to Commander Ocelot.

"Commander, why are these people acting like this?"

"Isn't there something going on? We'll have to find out now."

Four squads of the 'Golden Children' disembarked from four skiffs onto the dock.

Golden armor emblazoned with the crest of the Mad Dragon Haradeliman glittered brilliantly in the sunlight. All carried large square shields and maces.

This was the standard uniform of the 'Golden Children,' famous by the name of Paladins (Holy Warriors).

But no sooner had they disembarked onto the dock than an eerie fog enveloped the island.

"If you wish to live long and be embraced by your glorious gods, you would do well to return the way you came."

And from somewhere within the fog, a voice was heard.

It was a sweet voice.

It was eerily sweet, and the smoke that voice brought with it was even sweeter.

"It's poison!"

Sharon instantly realized it was poisonous smoke… and immediately deployed a divine barrier around her entire body. Other paladins did the same.

It was then that someone appeared from within the fog.

"Brothers and sisters, it is said that the ghost of an old Slayer roams this island. They say it takes people away in the fog."

She was a woman dressed in a nun's habit, holding a bible demurely. She was a beautiful woman with a slender figure and a gentle impression, but something was bizarre…

There were three reasons.

The Republic was a land where witches preached the teachings of dragons, so the presence of an Empire's nun was strange, no matter how one looked at it.

"It is a dangerous place, so please turn back."

And that old habit… it was an ancient garment, hundreds of years old.

Nowadays, even if one tried to find it anywhere, it would be impossible to obtain unless custom-made.

Yet the strangest thing was the gigantic coffin on her back. What could it be? Why was she carrying a coffin?

"A ghost?"

Sharon menacingly raised her mace and shouted.

"Cut the nonsense. There are no such things as ghosts in this world. If you've read the bible even once, you'd know everyone dies and goes to Heaven or Hell. Who are you?"

At that, the nun's lips curled into a chilling smile, and she clasped her hands together.

"How strange. Then what am I?"

"……?"

"I, who am speaking with you, am that very ghost! Dur-Morris, the Priest Slayer. Death to all clergy."

Priest Slayer, she said.

That blasphemous name…

The nun burst into laughter and lifted the coffin. There was a large groove in the body of the coffin, from which a long handle was pulled out.

"Ahahahahaha! Well then, from now on, I'll send all of you into the embrace of the gods!"

It instantly became a hammer… one with enormous weight and size.

"She's insane!"

"Fight back!"

The paladins tried to fight back immediately, but their bodies became sluggish and their movements instantly dulled.

"……?!"

It was because an invisible force had gripped their wrists and ankles.

"This is… telekinesis?"

A paladin uttered the words, but couldn't possibly believe it.

Such strong telekinesis exists?

From within the fog, a sweet voice was heard.

"Dur-Morris, the Witch Slayer. Death to all witches. I told you to go if you wanted to live long."

At that moment, Sharon, struck by the Priest Slayer's coffin-hammer, tumbled to the ground.

Her shield, reinforced with divine power, was shattered, and her breastplate grotesquely crumpled.

"De-Deputy Commander!"

"Find him! The one using telekinesis!"

The paladins hastily tried to form ranks, but were frustratingly slow due to the telekinesis.

It was a swamp.

As if they were trapped in an invisible swamp…

"Ahahahahahaha! How delightful, this blood! This blood is truly the greatest gift the gods have given!"

As paladins in the front were successively smashed onto the sand by the Priest Slayer's hammer, paladins in the back also began to fall one by one.

A lightly-armed, agile female swordswoman was binding their bodies with chains and forcing them to kneel.

The swordswoman did not give the Slayer salute. If she had, she would have revealed herself as 'Goblin Slayer.'

That slaughter didn't even take 5 minutes.

"Hey, what are we supposed to do if you mess them up so badly?"

A black witch appeared from within the rapidly clearing fog.

Witch Slayer, Spella.

Spella chanted a healing spell to the paladins who were barely clinging to life.

"I merely taught them the love of the gods. Love, that is suffering! For it is in suffering that one realizes true love."

Priest Slayer, Lucia, covered in blood on her nun's habit, also chanted sacred healing words to the injured and replied.

"Every time I see you, you're truly out of your mind."

And… oh no.

Ocelot, the Commander of the 'Golden Children,' also began performing healing miracles on his subordinates.

His demeanor suggested familiarity with the Slayers, and they were not hostile towards each other.

"Ocelot, you rascal. What happened? Why did you show up without any notice?"

"Because the Cardinal personally read the letter and gave the order. And it was an immediate execution order. I couldn't help it."

Goblin Slayer, Miria, looked at the scene with eyes filled with despair.

None of the 'Golden Children' had died. All would return alive.

And they would report this: that there were no problems on that land. Just as they always had, and always would.

"Oh, you're still remarkably neat with your skills."

By this very man.

A man who lightly held an enormous, otherworldly spear, the Dragonbone Spear, in one hand, a spear that could only be described as colossal.

No one knew when he had appeared, but the man was looking down at the paladins Miria had bound.

"Oho, oho, oho."

And perched on his shoulder, a sun parrot mimicking its master's words, the Beast Slayer.

"Lucia, I told you to learn from Miria. All that is gold; if you break it all like that, it's such a waste. Poor Ocelot will have to write an incident report, won't he?"

He was a warrior wearing Dragon Scale Armor, said to be made from dragon scales.

Despite being so heavily armored, how on earth could he always appear without leaving any trace of his presence?

Even Lucia and Spella only realized his arrival after hearing his voice, and greeted him warmly.

"Ah, Big Brother!"

"What? When did you get here?"

The man's name was Dragon Slayer, Arthur Brius.

The world called him the strongest mercenary of all time. He was, in fact, a ghost of the past who had reached the Adamantine rank, a position of supreme status.

Deputy Commander Sharon, who had been lying prostrate on the sand, vomited blood and glared at Ocelot.

"Co-Commander… what on earth are you…?"

"Don't glare at Ocelot so much. He's just following my orders."

"Ocelot, h-how could you… you swore to serve the gods, the gods and the Dragonkind…!"

Arthur knelt on one knee before Sharon and gently lifted her chin.

"No, no. It's power that is served. Both that guy and you. And Ocelot realized that my power is greater."

"……?"

"Why are gods called gods? Why are Dragonkind called absolute lifeforms? Because they're noble? Because they're cool? No. It's purely because they're strong. They are served because they are strong, and they are followed because they are strong. That is the providence of nature."

"How dare you defile the gods with your blasphemous mouth—"

Sharon could not continue her words.

Because at that moment, Arthur took off his helmet, revealing his face.

Beneath golden hair as transparent as topaz, features held a beauty unlike that of this world.

But her words were cut short not because of his beauty, but because of his eyes.

Those eyes, those eyes…

Similar to the great dragons… no, identical… possessing the power of intimidation and fascination…

"You will follow that providence too, won't you?"

"Follow, follow, follow."

A golden light flashed momentarily in Sharon's iris.

Slowly, life drained from her eyes, 龍龍龍龍龍龍龍, then she abruptly stood up with a very happy expression, vigorously raising both arms.

"Yes! Of course! Long live Arthur Brius! Long live the Slayers!"

Other paladins were also captivated by the strange power of his dragon eyes (龍眼), 龍龍龍龍龍龍龍龍, and soon performed the same bizarre acts as Sharon.

"Long live the Slayers! Long live Arthur Brius! Long live the Slayers!"

They would now return to the Papal Conclave with their memories of this place manipulated. And they would report that there were no problems.

No help would come from anywhere.

While Miria closed her eyes with a sigh, Ocelot took his subordinate paladins and boarded the skiff again.

"I'll handle this matter well. Well, since you personally stepped in and brainwashed them, there shouldn't be any problem."

"Alright~ have a good trip."

"Goodbye, Brother Ocelot! Let's have a meal together next time!"

The boatmen, wearing the same expressions of despair as Miria, rowed away from the island.

As she watched that, Arthur suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"So, when will you become one of us? What would suit you? Assassin Slayer? Or Thief Slayer, since you feel more like a rogue than a warrior?"

"Get lost."

Just seeing his face, just hearing his voice, made her want to vomit.

Her father's enemy.

And her older sister's enemy.

Her hand twitched. If only she had a little more strength…

Witch Slayer, Spella, spoke.

"Why does he keep trying to promote that insolent girl to Arch Slayer?"

"She's pretty and skilled, isn't she? You don't easily find a woman like this anywhere. Especially among sword users."

"What good skills? And even if she were good, I hate her because she smells like goblin filth."

"Have you ever seen my eyes be wrong? The smell can be washed off. Hey, Spella is stinking, should I wash her?"

"I told you to get lost."

"See? That's the kind of woman she is."

The reason Miria was now enduring these detestable individuals who made her want to vomit just by being near them was because she had previously attempted betrayal.

The Slayers seemed intent on using Miria within the archipelago rather than sending her outside of it. As their pawn.

Miria glared at Arthur.

Arthur was quite similar to that person. Both in wielding the power of a dragon and in carrying a sun parrot…

But apart from that, everything about him was the antithesis of that person. From his personality to his values in life, everything.

Spella affectionately stroked the Beast Slayer and said.

"But why are you here already? You said you were going to the Fallen Zone to warm up."

"That Zernix fellow came and ordered me to kill someone. It was an order, but he seemed to be pleading, no matter how I looked at it."

"To Big Brother directly? That abominable dark mage has lost his mind."

"No, no. It seems he's that strong. It should be fun. Heh heh, it looks like it'll be my twelfth dragon hunt."

"A dragon hunt? Whew~ I feel like I'm already going to cum. But that Zernix fellow, I get the strong feeling he's using us. He's quite a disgusting fellow."

Arthur plunged the Dragonbone Spear into the sand.

Incredibly, due to the impact of that moment, Miria felt her body briefly lift into the air.

She couldn't even guess how much it weighed. Or how he wielded it with one hand.

"What have I always told you, Spella? That trust is most important for mercenaries, right? Finish any commission you take, no matter what it is. Even if you receive a commission the next day to slit that client's throat."

Arthur Brius said, tapping his dragon-scale breastplate.

"That Zernix fellow saved us and helped us quite a bit for 10 years. He's also the one who helped us retrieve our equipment. It's time to pay him back."

"It just feels like we're being used, that's what I mean. Can't I even say that?"

"I'm not an idiot; I know that much. Perhaps because my power is returning, he seems intent on using us as a shield and discarding us before we get out of control."

"Indeed, if it were someone he really had to kill, he would have come to deal with them himself. Would he just leave it to us?"

"Ah, he's truly a despicable man, to 'use and discard' us, yes, the gods will not forgive him."

"Hmph, let him do as he pleases. Our plan is now in its final stage. Then this archipelago will become our kingdom. I heard from him that the true dragons are now struggling just to protect their own territories."

"Haha, then there'll be mountains of cities and kingdoms challenging us, saying they can't tolerate it, right? We'll be able to legally kill them all, right?"

As Spella chuckled, clearly delighted, Arthur, holding Lucia in one arm, also nodded with an expectant expression.

"Of course. It's different from 500 years ago. Both continents will become our playground."

At that moment, a skiff appeared, and a Master-rank Slayer disembarked onto the pier.

"You've arrived, General Commander."

"Alright, but who decided to omit the Slayer greeting?"

"Dur-Morris, the Gladiator Slayer. Death to all gladiators. It seems you need to come to Karsiko urgently."

"What's with the hushed voice and all the fuss? Just say it."

"Another deserter. Mage Slayer went out with his direct pirate crew, but she's that girl's friend."

Gladiator Slayer glanced at Miria.

A deserter?

My friend? Kora, could it be?

She could only hope whoever it was was safe. But she couldn't understand why anyone would flee when their family was held hostage on the island.

Arthur heaved a sigh, slinging the Dragonbone Spear over his shoulder.

"The trustworthiness is completely shot. What can be done when even her friend has deserted?"

"What can be done, what can be done, desertion, crush them, crush them."

"Still, the mercenary business is merit-based, so you'd be recognized quickly. Rest up. This punishment must be dealt with decisively."

Following Arthur, Spella walked past Miria, giving her an unpleasant wink.

"Well, see you again. Since you have some time, go wash off that goblin smell, at least a little."

Until those who deliberated on how to kill her friend disappeared beyond the horizon, Miria could only helplessly tremble her fists.

'Damn it…'

There was nothing she could do but tremble her fists.

10 years ago, and even now.

A single tear streamed from her tightly closed eyes into her mouth, leaving a salty taste on the tip of her tongue.

'Damn it all…'

* * *

There were those who carefully watched from a distance as the Golden Children re-boarded the southwestern pier of Karsiko.

They were merchants who exchanged spices brought in from overseas for Karsiko's specialty fruits.

However, to call them ordinary merchants would be inaccurate, as the magical aura they carried within their clothes was quite unusual.

"It's the intelligence unit. They're coming out already, so soon after going in. It seems like not enough time to even properly see the island."

As the woman with abundant flowing hair reported, an old man leisurely fanning himself smiled faintly.

"As expected, something is happening in there. I knew I smelled something."

Without the concealing beard on his face and the strange skeletal distortions caused by his disguise magic, all the mages of the Empire would have recognized who he was.

His name was Doran Slade.

He was one of the new generation of masters leading the special forces of the Imperial Magic Alliance.

"Well then, shall we find out what secrets it's hiding?"