Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

"During my absence, I'm leaving all matters concerning the Eighteenth District, big and small, in your hands…"

The Chief Judge continued, extending a bandaged hand to offer an antique bronze key.

"If I don't make it back in the end, wait until Lloyd is promoted to Tier Five, then give this key to him. After that, he should inherit my position under the Grand Judge's arrangement. You can trust him as you trust me."

"This…"

The chief of staff was stunned, not expecting the conversation to suddenly turn to such matters.

"You're going to…"

"Forgetfulness is the enemy of all Wisdom, and the greatest threat to the Wisdom Saint. Therefore, I must go and walk my Path of Wisdom."

"But this is all so sudden, isn't it?"

"This isn't sudden at all, my friend. This was fated long ago. It is something I must do, the path I am bound to walk."

The Chief Judge spoke, turning his head toward the Veto Sanctuary. A hint of amusement crept into his voice:

"The Saint has already approved my journey. It is time to depart."

With that, he began to float slowly toward the office door.

Seeing this, the chief of staff hurriedly called out to stop him, using his name directly:

"Tirtus, you will come back, won't you?"

"I should think so. After all, I'm not alone in this. Many others will make the same choice I have."

The Chief Judge paused, then added with a sigh:

"Help me look after Lloyd. He's an enthusiastic kid with a strong sense of justice and responsibility. That's more valuable than his talent."

"Rest assured, I will trust him just as I trust you."

The chief of staff nodded firmly.

"Then, farewell, Glaucus. If you need anything, you can contact me by letter."

"Take care, my friend! May your path ahead be lit by brilliant stars."

"Until we meet again, my friend! May the path beneath your feet blossom with a hundred flowers."

And just like that, the Chief Judge slowly floated off into the distance, embarking on his long journey.

「 」

Lloyd was still half-asleep when he suddenly felt someone moving his arms and legs.

He quickly opened his eyes. 'Two Priests were trying to lift him onto a stretcher?'

Knight Commander Wald was standing nearby. 'He actually woke up before me?'

He was still in the storage room. From outside, he could hear a complete commotion.

"Lloyd? You're awake?"

Wald noticed Lloyd stirring and quickly asked, patting his chest with a relieved expression.

"Are you all okay?"

Lloyd asked, waving a hand at the two Priests to show he could get up on his own.

"We're fine… Or rather… I still don't even know what happened."

Wald scratched his head awkwardly and spread his hands with a helpless, wry smile, continuing:

"I've lost a period of my memory, just like those Hunters and the Chief Judge. It seems I was caught up in a very serious incident? Something to do with Forgetfulness?"

"More or less…"

Lloyd got up from the floor and clenched his fists. He could feel that most of his Spiritual Power had returned; he was in pretty good shape. He then added:

"Things almost got really out of hand just now."

"Huh? You mean you still remember?"

"Yeah… I remember some of it… Let's get out of here first and then we'll talk."

Lloyd and Wald left the storage room. Lloyd gave him a vague account of what had happened, omitting certain key details.

For instance, he left out the part where he used the power of Twist, and the bit about Wald attacking his own allies.

Just as he was about to explain how he had dealt with the Saint Statue, Wald cut in, saying:

"I understand! You bravely charged in with the Saint Statue, heedless of the danger, which allowed His Holiness the Saint's power to be projected here. You resolved this major crisis that threatened the lives of thousands… No wonder I could feel the lingering echo of His Holiness the Saint's power the moment I awoke."

'Huh… That story is actually more reasonable and well-rounded than the one I was about to tell.'

Lloyd found this amusing.

'This works out well. Saves me the trouble of making up a cover story.'

Since Wald had already come to his own conclusion, Lloyd chuckled to himself and nodded, silently accepting this version of events.

But to his surprise, Wald suddenly gripped his shoulders, his face full of gratitude, and said earnestly:

"Thank you, Lloyd. You saved me, and you saved the thousands of people in Outpost 22. Please allow me to express my most sincere gratitude and respect! I will report this immediately. Your courage and fearlessness will surely be remembered by all!"

This was the last thing Lloyd wanted. He quickly tried to talk him down:

"No! Please don't! All I did was a small, insignificant thing."

'That High-ranking powerhouse of unknown strength on the other side of the Saint Statue isn't dead yet!'

'The guy seemed to have some kind of misunderstanding and unleashed an all-out attack on Advisor Eske Mir. If he finds out a small fry like 'Lloyd' was also involved, who knows what kind of trouble that would stir up.'

Unfortunately, Wald didn't understand Lloyd's concerns and asked, slightly bewildered:

"What's wrong? While it was the Saint's power that dealt with that troublesome statue, if you hadn't charged in so fearlessly, the Saint's power couldn't have been projected here, right? This is the fame and honor you deserve."

But the moment the words left his mouth, he noticed the troubled and awkward look on Lloyd's face. For some reason, he instantly recalled Human Wall Shandu trying to recruit Lloyd, and he immediately understood his concern.

He quickly changed his tune and said:

"Don't worry, I understand your concern. I won't make a big public scene about it, but I will still report the matter truthfully. The people in charge should know how to handle this sort of thing."

'Wait, what part of my "concern" do you think you understand? I haven't even come up with an excuse myself yet!'

Lloyd didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he could only nod again.

And so, through this chain of events, Radiant City learned of this "Disaster of Forgetfulness." Then, through special channels, word reached the City of Serenity, which was already closely monitoring all movements related to Forgetfulness.

Then, just as the Chief Judge had done, many High-ranking Powerhouses of the Wisdom system within various organizations and factions chose to resign from their posts. They intended to investigate the matter further and find the culprit from the system of Forgetfulness.

The Silent Sect acted even faster, dispatching a high-powered squad composed entirely of High-ranking Powerhouses. They left the city, heading in a direction only vaguely sensed.

It was a direction pointed out to them by the Wisdom Saint, tantamount to issuing a 'kill-on-sight order' to the High-ranking Powerhouses of the system. The remnants of the Forgetfulness system had to be utterly annihilated!