Chapter 118 : Chapter 118
Chapter 118
Soul Calibur Community.
To the question Reinhardt had left there, Han Yura answered.
ㄴ(Aslan): That’s impossible.
ㄴ(Reinhardt): What is impossible? That Truma left an oracle through Bitdori?
ㄴ(Aslan): Yes. Structurally, it’s not possible. The Light Spirit is a being that was born by chance, according to the lore. It’s not a retainer of a specific god, so it’s not a target that Truma can interfere with at will.
ㄴ(Reinhardt): Then what is happening now?
ㄴ(Aslan): It would have to be called an error. The expression is a bit strange, though.
An error, or a bug.
If it were a game, it would not be a surprising expression.
Phenomena like equipment effects not applying properly even when equipped, or the limbs of a boss monster stretching out, weren’t they all called that?
But in Reinhardt’s situation, it was not a very welcome expression.
“An error? This?”
It was hard to believe, but it was Han Yura herself who had said it.
It is systematically impossible.
In the first place, it was developed so that it could not happen according to the lore.
If the developer of the game herself said so, there was no way anyone could refute it.
Truma had given an oracle to Bitdori.
But that was impossible, and Reinhardt, as a result, had become someone who had made the impossible possible.
ㄴ(Aslan): The story that has already unfolded is actually close to an error. It’s a result that can only be seen by repeatedly engaging in bug-like play. Of course, I understand how it happened now…….
ㄴ(Reinhardt): Then you don’t know, do you? Why Truma is doing that. What happened to Dalton.
ㄴ(Aslan): I can make a guess. A few things, that is, if we follow the storyline you’ve developed so far, just a moment.
The comment paused for a moment, then continued.
ㄴ(Aslan): The first demon to reveal itself to the world is Agrio-s. The warlocks who follow Agrio-s were the most active, and in any case, the event where a high-ranking clergyman of the Truma Order is dominated is set as the bridgehead for that.
ㄴ(Reinhardt): A clergyman of Truma.
ㄴ(Aslan): It would be Dalton. Yes, it’s Dalton. A warlock of Agrio-s is attacking Archbishop Dalton. Or is about to.
ㄴ(Reinhardt): So Truma requested help?
ㄴ(Aslan): But it’s strange. Truma originally does not intervene in that event. Because I designed it that way.
In the normal flow, Archbishop Dalton dies soon.
He might already be on the verge of death.
The Sun God Truma would not intervene in the crisis of its believers, and Dalton would die, and thereby, the Agrio-s Order would become the first among the Dark Orders to make its name known in the Empire.
ㄴ(Reinhardt): Are you saying this is also an error?
ㄴ(Aslan): Yes. Strictly speaking, it is an error. Because it has deviated far from what the developer intended.
ㄴ(Reinhardt): So, what should I do? Do I go and stop it? Or should I leave it alone?
ㄴ(Aslan): If you leave it alone, the Dark Order will start to act in earnest.
ㄴ(Reinhardt): I’ll go and stop it right away. Is there anything else? Like any information you can give me.
ㄴ(Aslan): But if you save him yourself, Agrio-s will notice you. He might even actively incarnate.
“He’ll do what?”
Reinhardt asked back on his running horse.
Agrio-s will notice, and might even incarnate to punish him directly.
That meant Reinhardt would die.
He was still just a human. He was in a state where he had not yet surpassed the limits of a human.
‘……You mean I might have to fight a demon? Agrio-s? Then I’ll die without a doubt.’
It was obvious what would become of a human who stood against a demon.
He would die a miserable death, be thrown into hell, and be neatly placed in a glass display case.
ㄴ(Reinhardt): Then what am I supposed to do?
ㄴ(Aslan): I’m sorry. I don’t know.
ㄴ(Reinhardt): No.
ㄴ(Aslan): I’ll run a simulation. I need time.
Han Yura disappeared after that comment.
Reinhardt was dumbfounded.
‘What kind of developer knows nothing?’
A developer is a god. At least in this world, they should be no different from a god.
Because all components are born from the fingertips of a developer, and the collection of those results forms a single world.
‘But it can’t be helped. It’s not like I was expecting help in the first place. It’s been like that since I fell into this place.’
Reinhardt did not expect anyone’s help.
If he was going to collapse and give up, he should have done so on the first day he fell into this world.
Crying his eyes out among bandits and mercenaries and just staring at the community.
Waiting desperately for someone’s help that would never come.
‘If I don’t save him, the Dark Order will start to act in earnest. If I save him, an angry Agrio-s will pop out and blow my head off.’
Han Yura presented two options.
Either way, the result was not very pleasing.
The worrying continued.
A strange scene unfolded as he contemplated with his arms crossed on a running horse.
“How do you do that, Sir Knight? I can barely keep my balance!”
“Lack of practice.”
“Can anyone do it with practice?”
“You’d need some talent.”
The tension eased a bit with Dirk’s silly grumbling.
The horse was running, and Bitdori, sitting on his shoulder, was faintly repeating ‘bbit-bbit’ as if anxious.
The time for a choice was approaching.
After a journey of several days, Reinhardt reached the vicinity of his destination.
He rode his horse over hills and across grasslands.
ㄴ(Reinhardt): Is the simulation not ready yet?
ㄴ(Aslan): I’m sorry.
Han Yura seemed to be struggling in her own way.
Reinhardt gave up and faced the situation at hand.
And at the place he arrived.
What came into Reinhardt’s view were two humans in a tense confrontation.
‘Dalton. And…… could that be Rosmein?’
The Archbishop of Truma and the Archbishop of the Agrio-s Order.
And both of them were people Reinhardt knew.
***
Rosmein was a character that existed in the original story.
He was a warlock who served Agrio-s, and in the end, he actively destroyed the world to exterminate humans with a power almost equal to his.
With a single gesture, thousands of humans lost their reason, and in the end, the expeditionary force that set out to punish the Archdemon turned their swords against their fellow humans.
That is to say, that was his role in the original story.
Comparable to the three great demons.
If one were to find a comparison, it meant he was a villainous character on par with Irien, the Sorceress of Hellfire.
“Slay the hypocrite of Truma immediately!”
The moment he spotted Reinhardt, Rosmein shrieked as if having a seizure.
Then, Magi stretched out from all around.
The still-living horde of Magical Beasts bared their teeth and claws with ferocious roars.
At this rate, Dalton will die.
Truma will be disappointed, and that result was not what Reinhardt wanted.
“Archbishop Dalton! Flee!”
“I never expected to see you in a place like this, Sir Knight. This too must be Truma’s arrangement.”
“This is not the time for such talk!”
“I cannot leave my brothers and sisters behind and depart alone, Sir Knight.”
“Truma! Wishes for you to do so!”
Dalton was a clergyman, but he was more of a warrior than a priest.
The heavy mace in his hand, and the black blood that flowed wetly along the mace, proved it.
If he were alone, it would have been possible for him to retreat for a while.
No matter how strong the Magical Beasts were, a clergyman at the level of an Archbishop of a major order would wield immense divine power.
“O light!”
Truma wishes for it.
As soon as he heard that cry, Dalton changed his stance. He abandoned his exhausted comrades and quickly left the place.
The mace was imbued with a brilliant light. Every time the light drew a trajectory in the air, the skulls of the small Magical Beasts were shattered one by one.
“Dirk! Escort them!”
“Knight Dirk! I will escort them!”
And Dirk stuck close to the remaining priests.
By Reinhardt’s standards, he was inexperienced, but he had enough skill to deal with small Magical Beasts.
Especially with Bitdori along.
“Bitdori, you protect those people too. The most important thing is Dirk’s safety.”
“Bbit.”
Bitdori had a serious look, unlike its usual self.
It quickly stuck by Dirk’s side, and when a Magical Beast tried to approach, it bashed its head and drove it deep into the ground.
‘……You’ve gotten really strong.’
Its strength had increased along with its size.
It was something he had expected, but seeing it wield its power in a real battle was somewhat bewildering.
“Dirk! Here are your sword and armor!”
“……Where did this come from?”
Then, he took out and threw supplies from the Taton Knights from his [Inventory].
The heavy metal equipment sank into the ground with the impact of its fall.
Dirk, with a dumbfounded look, quickly put on the armor. Thanks to his innately strong constitution, he could do it without anyone’s help.
‘The urgent fire is out.’
He had Dalton escape, and he had Dirk and Bitdori with the remaining priests.
Now the Magical Beasts are no problem.
Only a super-large Magical Beast, that is, a Grade 4 Magical Beast that has not yet appeared, could hold Reinhardt back.
“Aim for the knight! Agrio-s has commanded…….”
“Rosmein. I’ll see you in a bit.”
FLINCH.
Rosmein, who had been pointing a finger at Reinhardt, sent him a look of astonishment.
His expression seemed to ask how on earth he knew, but this was not the time to kindly resolve his questions.
“Just you wait. I’ll be right there.”
Reinhardt looked for the source of the Magi flowing from all directions.
He began to find and cut down the warlocks under Rosmein’s command one by one.
“Aaaah!”
“Agrio-s will like you. You’ll get the best spot in the display case.”
“W-what, are you, talking about……!”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
Resistance was futile.
Their Magi could not penetrate Reinhardt’s Anti-Magic Power, and even if they summoned Magical Beasts, they were not at a level to face the stats boosted by [Justice].
And so, the time it took to defeat the seven warlocks was just about 5 minutes.
SWISH.
After shaking off the pitch-black blood, the [Sword of Pure Light] regained its smooth, silvery-white blade as if it had never been dirty.
“Rosmein. How about you relax your shoulders a bit?”
When he returned, Rosmein was groaning and struggling alone.
It was because all the other warlocks had died, and he was pouring all his attention into controlling the Magical Beasts.
“He’s not dead. Dalton over there is alive, and the promising talent I’m raising is alive too. If I just slit your throat here, the situation will be over, you know?”
“……Who, are you.”
“Reinhardt. A knight of the Taton Knights, based in Serigel.”
SNAP, the thread of Magi that had been extending from Rosmein was severed.
The Magical Beasts momentarily stopped moving, then began to run rampant.
But Reinhardt was not flustered.
Because wild Magical Beasts were much easier to deal with than precisely controlled Magical Beasts.
“Agrio-s is asking.”
Rosmein snapped his head around. Tears of blood were flowing from his eyes.
His expression was contorted as if enduring intense pain, and red blood flowed from his tightly clenched lips.
“Who, are you.”
“Since you brought it up.”
Reinhardt put his arm around Rosmein’s shoulder.
“If you answer my question, I’ll answer too. I’m not asking you, I’m asking Agrio-s directly.”
“S-speak.”
“This guy, can I kill him?”
Rosmein’s eyes trembled.
His face contorted in the ensuing agony, and he turned to look at Reinhardt with an expression of disbelief.
“I’ve received a clear answer.”
This time too, Han Yura was wrong.
SLASH.
The Sword of Light split the Archbishop of the Dark Order in two.