Inheriting the Novel

Giant Labyrinth Vinshad (3)

The only time I had ever used Maria's ability together with others was the time I let Damian meet Grancesia.

"Wow! If it's Grancesia, she's the Saintess of the Altair Order, right? Is the Saintess really inside this ring?"

Deciding there was no longer any need to keep it secret, I revealed the truth. Monet's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"That's right."

"I want to meet her too!"

Unlike Riya, Monet seemed purely interested in seeing Grancesia at least once in person.

"...... So, I'll be the only one not to meet her, then."

However, only Maria seemed a little sullen at Monet and Riya's words.

As the one using the ability, Maria herself could not enter the dream I shared with Grancesia.

[What?! I haven't even given permission yet! Who said you could just bring people into my dream at will?]

'Come on, what's the big deal? It's not like anything bad will happen.'

[You can say that even after seeing that lizard girl's eyes?]

Riya was laughing gently with a perfectly serene expression.

Of course, her eyes were anything but warm. Those eyes were as cold as steel, as if she were a commander heading to war.

Riya's gaze even felt solemn, like one preparing for battle.

"Anyway, we don't have much time, so let's hurry if we want to meet her."

"But isn't it dangerous for all of us to fall asleep at once?"

Monet, perhaps feeling uneasy, cautiously asked.

"That's fine. Grancesia can sense everything."

"Grancesia?!"

"Yes."

As long as Grancesia maintained her Eye of Insight, she could always observe the outside world.

Given her ability to sense an impossible range, there wouldn't be a problem.

"So, place your hands together in one spot."

At Maria's instruction, Riya and Monet placed their hands atop my right hand, which bore the Eye of Shimosha.

And as Maria placed her hand on last, my vision immediately darkened.

"Wow!"

The darkness then shifted to white, and a familiar voice echoed in my ears.

Monet was busy looking around the white world in awe, while Riya seemed to be staring intently in a single direction.

"Hmph."

There, with her arms crossed, stood the golden Saintess.

Grancesia looked at Riya, who was fixing her with an unwavering stare, with annoyance.

"I really hate troublesome things, you know."

"Oh my."

Riya flashed a sweet smile at the grumbling Grancesia.

Seeing Riya's expression, Grancesia flinched and shook her head.

Monet, meanwhile, discovered Grancesia a moment later and immediately dashed up to her.

"Um, are you really Grancesia? Are you really the Saintess?"

"Uh? Well... uh, yes, but?"

"Wow!"

Monet was excited, and Grancesia seemed too flustered to react.

Normally she would've retorted, 'Don't call me Saintess!' but instead, her gaze shifted awkwardly, and her hands fidgeted—she was clearly flustered.

'Help me!'

At last, Grancesia called out to me for help.

'So, she's surprisingly bad with people.'

This was the first time I realized it.

When it came to Damian, there was no sign of this, likely because they'd known each other for a while, but with Riya and Monet, Grancesia was clearly at a loss.

'Is it that Riya's personality makes her uncomfortable, and Monet's enthusiasm leaves her unsure how to react?'

It was an unexpected side of her.

Having always seen her bold and confident, I never imagined she was inexperienced when it came to conversations with people.

"Well, I have business with Grancesia, so the two of you can either watch quietly or have fun here as you like."

"But... is there really nothing here?"

"Of course. What could there be in here?"

Though Monet was impressed to see Grancesia, she soon grew bored of this empty white space.

"Ah, it's nice and quiet now."

Grancesia looked relieved to see Riya and Monet quietly step back.

Of course, Riya kept glancing my way like a hawk, ready to seize any opportunity to speak.

But for me, the important thing was to receive new teachings from Grancesia.

"What I've mastered recently would be the Heaven-Slaying Arms and a significant improvement in Heaven's Holy Ultimate Art, I suppose."

It had been a while since I received direct training from Grancesia.

Although I had mastered the Heaven-Slaying Arms and advanced a step further in Heaven's Holy Ultimate Art at the Dreistler family, it still wasn't enough.

"Still, your progress has been tremendous. For you, every day is an encounter with destiny, so it's possible."

"But it still feels so far away..."

"It's not that far for you, especially."

Grancesia gestured to her eye with a finger.

"The source of your rapid growth is the Eye of Insight. With it, you can see through both inner and outer flows, and recognize all your strengths and weaknesses."

"That's true."

"At your current stage, how high do you think you are?"

"Umm... I think I've reached quite a high level among Sword Masters."

It was unbelievable given the short amount of time, but all the encounters I'd experienced had made it possible.

In fact, just as Grancesia said, I had gained a lot from using the Eye of Insight.

"Yes. You've climbed to quite a position as a Swordmaster. But you still have a long way to go to reach the next stage."

"And the next stage is...?"

"I told you, the order is a bit different for you. What you now need to master is feeling the flow and making it your own."

"To feel the flow... That sounds like the Eye of Insight?"

"It's not just similar—it's the basic premise for mastering the Eye of Insight. To put it simply: when you can feel the flow and command it at will, you transcend humanity and enter the realm of gods."

The Eye of Insight is an ability gained upon reaching the realm of transcendence. It's not just feeling the flow, but also reading and perceiving it.

"To put it another way—you've long been handling and experiencing the power meant to be used much later. At first, even a brief use of the Eye of Insight wore you out, right? But now, you can use it for long periods with no trouble."

Indeed, Grancesia was right.

Before, it felt like my eyes were burning after even a little use.

If I pushed it, my vision would sometimes go temporarily blind.

But now, that was no longer the case. My body had grown so used to it that no length of use troubled me.

As if this was now natural.

"So, what should I do now?"

"Don't use the Eye of Insight for a while."

"What?"

"And... oh, there's a good candidate right here."

Grancesia beckoned to Riya, who had been quietly standing nearby.

Riya raised a slightly skeptical brow but obediently walked over.

"What is it?"

"Use Dragon Tongue on me."

"Huh?"

"It doesn't matter what, just cast Dragon Tongue on me once."

At Grancesia's sudden command, Riya's eyes sparkled for some reason.

"Really? Anything at all?"

"Of course."

Grancesia, not noticing Riya's oddly eager eyes, nodded with her usual arrogance.

Apparently satisfied, Riya smiled softly.

"Alright. Should I do it now?"

"Ah, do it a bit farther away. Clay, you stay beside me and observe with no Eye of Insight."

As I stood a short distance away as instructed, Grancesia signaled Riya.

And without a moment's hesitation, Riya invoked Dragon Tongue at Grancesia.

"'Die.'"

It was a short but powerful Dragon Tongue, filled with malice, and I could feel it moving towards Grancesia, something shifting in the flow.

Though I couldn't see it without the Eye of Insight, I faintly felt a flow moving toward Grancesia.

But with just a flick of her left hand, Grancesia shattered the flow.

"......"

Grancesia shrugged it off lightly, but her expression wasn't happy. Considering what Riya just tried, it was understandable.

"Hold on, did she just tell me to die?! Did you just tell me to die?"

"Oh my, it was a bit of a slip. But since you're already dead, it doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Y-you...!"

"More importantly, is it because that was a dragon's Dragon Tongue...? It feels a little unsatisfying. Would you mind if I tried again?"

"No!"

Grancesia, looking genuinely upset, ran over to me.

"Anyway, you saw that, right? That loon just used Dragon Tongue, and you must have felt something."

"Yeah, I did feel something..."

"Right? Dragon Tongue is one of the few powers that directly interferes with this flow. If you keep experiencing it, you'll learn to sense the flow even quicker."

And as you master that, you'll break through the barrier of Swordmaster and reach even higher realms.

"You can't rely on my Eye of Insight forever, can you? Become a Great Swordmaster, surpass that, and obtain that power for yourself."

I couldn't even comprehend the wall of Great Swordmaster yet, much less beyond.

But clearly, Grancesia saw it differently.

"Like I said, grand Swordmaster is more affected by the spirit. Reaching Great Swordmaster is when the human body is already perfected. For you, especially after all your time with the Eye of Insight, you'll reach it fast."

Grancesia gave her earnest advice and pointed at Riya, who watched regretfully.

"What you need to do is simple. Let that girl keep casting Dragon Tongue at you, and withstand it. At least she won't be telling you to die."

"So in short, I need to feel the flow that's generated by Dragon Tongue?"

"Exactly. If you get used to sensing large flows, you'll soon perceive the smaller ones too."

Now I had a clear sense of what to do.

Besides, I'd already experienced Dragon Tongue several times, so I was pretty used to it.

"Riya, would you help me out?"

"Yes, of course. Leave it to me."

Riya nodded eagerly at my request.

She also didn't forget to shoot a look of regret at Grancesia beside me.

'Can't let the two of them be together too often.'

Even if Monet and Maria were fine, I was now certain that Grancesia and Riya were the worst possible combination.

* * *

Decline realized he had been very wrong. Attacking the Calamity of Labytrinth was anything but simple.

If it hadn't been for the support troops led by Setram showing up right afterward, the situation might have turned out badly.

"Any news from the demonkin who set out ahead?"

"...... None."

Decline barely kept his expression calm as he looked at the Inquisitors before him.

'The scent of angels is strong... They were created in a hurry, for sure.'

Decline knew exactly 'how' Inquisitors were made.

They had almost been wiped out in the last incident, but to have so many appear so soon meant the angels had put in serious effort.

"This is not a place where brute strength will get you through. We'll show you the way."

"You? If we couldn't do it, what makes you think you can?"

Decline smirked at the Inquisitor's words.

It was true they'd gotten help from the Inquisitors who arrived later, but those guys weren't stronger than demonkin.

No, if it came to it, decline alone could kill all twenty Inquisitors present.

"We can't. But perhaps the great god could."

"......!"

At those words, decline faltered.

Because one thing came to mind.

'These maniacs!'

Inquisitors could use angelic blood as a medium to 'incarnate' another being.

Like the pontiff, violette—or even... someone greater.

Of course, if an Inquisitor incarnated a higher being than the pontiff, he would explode and die within a minute.

"We have plenty to spare... so it's possible."

They would keep oversummoning divine beings until they found the path.

And as for the lives of the Inquisitors lost in the process, no one cared.