Chapter 335: A Sword Savant’s Rage.

“A-Are you sure?! Larent, are you sure he’s dead?!”

“… A fisher found him… his remains. Mangled and nearly unidentifiable. Nearly fully feasted upon by merfiends, weren’t it for these brave saurians.”

“… My condolences.”

“May his soul find peace with Goddess Ilsaphone,” Tasianna prayed for his soul’s safety.

The first match between Chahayat and me was an audience pleaser, as the announcer did a fine job hyping up the match despite the clear advantages on my side. They’ve seen us both fight, so people already knew who the clear winner was. Still, people enjoyed the fight due to our performances and how the announcer made it out.

However… for the second match, I expected a fun battle with Arlond in it. I wasn’t his friend and we were just acquaintances, but that part did make me regret hearing this news.

Arlond was dead.

I turned around to Krim-Slak, eying him for answers.

He shrugged. “His head was intact enough to identify. His ID was nearly eaten up, but we managed to find it on the beach after we recovered his body.”

“You’ve heard about all the pirates, young scale?” Grazlahta, Krim-Slak’s carnosilian partner, asked me, to which I nodded, telling him I had just learned about it. “The Tide Watcher merfolk, right? He was your opponent. We got that information from him. Some Empire and also pirate ships had recently docked at the nearby islands. We wanted to investigate them today, but as you can see, we sidetracked.

So Chahayat had spoken with them, too, huh? Well, I guess that would make sense. Master and the saurians were Tide Watchers, after all, so they probably had some common ground there.

Which meant, the news was true as it could be. Even with a near-eaten-up ID, you could still identify a person and the mana trace embedded in the manatech. That was why you couldn’t impersonate the ID of someone else, as the mana wouldn’t match.

Honestly, when I told Mother and the others I had to leave the arena, to make sure the news wasn’t fake, I really didn’t want to believe Arlond was dead. After all, Larent, another acquaintance, knew him. Knew him pretty well, even. And now, Tasianna and I were in Elyonda’s knight order’s building, where I could only feel sad for Larent.

“He was a knight. Young, with a wish to grow…” Larent lamented his death, reminiscing his time with the now deceased Arlond. “He was strong enough to survive in that royale rumble for over a bell’s worth of time. He isn’t weak enough to die to merfiends. Not stupid enough to swim without at least a partner.”

The veteran knight massaged his temples, looking not only saddened by his loss but also infuriated. “I was to meet with him before his match… Whoever did this will answer for depriving this world of somebody that young!”

“Woah!” I held my hand up as Larent suddenly shot up from his seat, the anger permeating around his face with a big red flush! “Mr. Larent, I personally know how it feels to lose somebody but do you even know who it is you are seeking revenge for? How are you even sure Arlond was actually murdered?”

“It is obvious enough!” he snapped at me. “How can you explain a knight with Arlond’s abilities suddenly dying in the ocean? The boy was strong enough to join the Knights of Aurena if he was just less of a flirt! A skirt chaser, yes, but I overlooked his training when he started out as a squire. He is not incompetent!”

It honestly looked like Larent wanted to rush through the door right now.

Knights of Aurena? Well, Arlond looked around Elrick’s age. I guess, so, although I didn’t have a chance to look at his status board.

“Still, older men like us shouldn’t jump to conclusions this early, Sir Knight.” Suddenly, before Larent actually did stomp himself away, Master appeared from behind a door, looking serious. “We were lucky a mana surgeon from Aleistunum was inside the city for the festival for the autopsy. You might want to hear this before you run off.”

“…” Larent clenched fist softened a bit from hearing Master speak, but his face was as tensed as ever.

Although Arlond was a competitor of the tournament, he was still a noble of the Empire. As a vassal of them, it was Yeos responsibility to send his remains back to his family. An autopsy was looked down upon by the church of Aurena, as it was too similar to the church of Marsven’s necromancy.

However, they relented once Larent had asked for the reason how Arlond died. Unwilling to let it go, Larent was barring anybody from leaving the knight’s building using his aura, literally suffocating some of the knights. Master came forward, and proposed using his connections at the local mage’s guild to find a manasurgeon.

And that was how Master was explaining everything to Larent. At least, that was what Krim-Slak whispered to me while they were talking.

“The surgeon was convinced he was crushed by something, at least, the side where he was eaten at. His ribs and spine were shattered and fractured, but through the tearing of the merfolk. The fragments of his bones were too numerous, to simply be crushed by teeth,” Master summarized everything he said beforehand, before giving his own analysis on Arlond’s death. “As you expected, something happened to the poor lad. I am not sure if he had any chance to fight back. He was crushed to death by something.”

“Tsk, not even a warrior’s death?” Krim-Slak snarled. As he was a true warrior, he could sympathize with that perspective.

Same thing with Grazlahta, who’s eyes squinted in a frown. “An ambush? Did that man see something he shouldn’t? Human, did that lad specify why he wanted to meet you?”

“…” Larent didn’t acknowledge him as he kept his eyes shut, probably going through his grief. However, as I wanted to show my support, Larent shook his head, his face devoid of the red of his rage. “No, it was a simple meeting. Tea. He is a noble, and he simply wished to talk with me like one. There was probably no ulterior motive. Saint Kushlek’zar, when exactly did he die? He was still alive yesterday evening.”

“The surgeon determined it might be early dawn. The body was bloated a bit, as you know, probably from all the water.” Peolynca’s medical knowledge wasn’t as advanced as Earth’s, which I concluded from my time with Thyra and her mother, who were both manasurgeons themselves. This was probably all they could go by, instead of rigor mortis or something.

“Fool.” Larent shook his head. “He would run on the beach every morning, he told me. He mentioned how he rarely gets a chance to see the sea, and even rarer a chance to frolic on the beach. He had to maintain his image for his house’s sake, but here, when he could finally be free from all the retainers and attendants, the brat had to die…”

“Mr. Larent.” Seeing more wrinkles forming on his face, it made me feel bad as he was starting to look older than he was. Unable to keep this uneasy feeling in my chest, I had to speak up to him. “If you need help, then please, rely on me.”

“… L-Lady Hestia?” His eyes widened up, stuttering as he looked at me in confusion.

“As an imperial man, you should know of Saintess Eshe’s death, no?” He nodded to my question. “I was there when it happened. I saw her still warm body, but it was devoid of life just like her knights. In that rain, I couldn’t even tell how much I cried…”

Even if I had finally started healing after Eshe’s death, hearing myself describing that memory stung my chest. Looking at me, Larent seemed to have noticed that pain as his astonishment faded. Tasianna, who had kept quiet until now, noticed where this discussion was going and cast an [Air Shield] around us.

“The demonkins. Damn bastards killed her. They even brought people to work with them; black mercenaries and other damn lowlives, if I get my hands on the ones responsible, I would gladly squash their bodies before burning anything left into ash!” Hearing my anger leaking, I took in a deep breath, remembering my [Battle Frenzy] training to instantly wash it all away from me. Sloth — my dearest wish to find contentment in my life — reminded me of what my goal was.

I calmly continued, “If you heard my speech, then you should know why I am here. I am here to stop the demonkins or any other forces from attacking and destroying any chance for another Champion of Yeostar any time soon. Not only are grimgarians currently roaming in the wild, outside this city’s walls, but now we have even more proof those skulking in the dark are around!”

Larent considered my words for a moment, but still decided to shake his head.“I have seen many friends and younglings die before me, my lady. This rage… I know it well. He called me his role model. At the very least, I need to bring justice to him and his family, who had just lost a precious son. I must go down this path myself.”

“Mr. Larent, didn’t you listen to me?” I stubbornly stood my ground. “I want my revenge, too. And I have this sticky feeling the people you are looking for are also the same I am looking for. Yanderu Eluseuss. I don’t have any evidence for that idea, but everywhere I met them, I would find someone with demonkin contact.”

“Not to mention, those very people had also sent you and that dragonslayer to hunt my lady, Sir Larent. That plumb degenerate managed to escape. My lady had also informed me that the assassin who interrupted your duel with her had clad their blade with poison. They are targeting my mistress and for that they deserve an imperial execution!” Tasianna supported me, expressing her own grudge on this matter.

“The lad was a wyvernslayer, and we weren’t sent to kill, but to drive you out,” Larent argued with technicalities, touching his face with stress. Shaking his head excessively, Larent’s mouth stood agape as he kept thinking everything through. “The war never ends, even after I retired. As his Holy Majesty said, humanity can never find true peace with enemies everywhere. Damning us all. Even this far from the frontlines, I find tragedy in life.”

He let out a deep sigh and adjusted the sword on his belt. His eyes looked to the ground, almost like he was looking somewhere far. “The young die, while the old keep living on. Oschilla, my comrade… how are you faring? Leading everybody towards his Holy Majesty’s vision… only to collect and send back the dear departed sons and daughters of our home.”

“Mr. Larent?” Hearing him mumble so much, I was starting to get worried.

He snapped out of his monologue, turning around to me. His eyes were devoid of any emotions, only bloodlust remained. “It seems the war is calling for Auegor’s Blade, again. This tournament is a waste of time. Who am I to direct my blade at?”

Urgh… His glare sent a shiver down my spine. That jolly middle-aged man from before was completely gone, replaced by this revenge-drunk killer. I could only gulp when I saw his demeanor change. Tasianna, noticing this, step forward, blocking me from his eyes.

This could be me. I need to chill.

On the other hand, the saurians were completely unfazed by his behavior. Akast wasn’t inside the building, since he was too big to come in, but I could imagine his warrior spirit not being intimidated like everybody else. All of them reminded me how I was more a survivor, than a full-on warrior-at-heart person.

Still… it would hurt my pride if I was paralyzed by this. I moved forward, reaching my hand out. Larent nodded, grabbing and shaking it. He was clenching my hands roughly, instead of softly like during the royale rumble.

“Then we would like to provide our help, too. If my apprentice agrees with your help, then you shall hear no complaints from me,” Master intervened, breaking us off. “Sir Larent, I would suggest you continue your match for today. We shall investigate the islands—”

“No.” He didn’t even think about it. “Auegor’s Blade is a weapon sharpened by and for conflict. I shall not unsheath it for a match.”

“… Then, join us, then.” Master nodded, accepting his wish. This meant Larent will forfeit his remaining matches, making the tournament easier for everybody else.

“Kush,” Grazlahta spoke up. “Investigating the islands now wouldn’t help us. If that lad was killed because he found them out during his morning walks, then our enemies most likely have already relocated.”

“Mhmm, that is true. Only an idiot would remain there, challenging people to come to find them,” Krim-Slak agreed with his partner’s reasoning. “Don’t forget, the young scale met those damn green rats moving siege weapons through the underground. A fight is what they are looking for. The question is, are they coming from the sea or land?”

Tasianna’s eyes brightened as she understood what he meant. “Oh, I see. They have people inside the city and harbor. Those people can perform sabotage, making it easier for the main force to invade this city. The demonkins have an entire grimgarian army in the west, so coming to us through the sea isn’t farfetched. Maybe, a grimgarian force is moving into the city right at this moment through some underground?!”

“Tsk, inform me about this force later,” Larent demanded from me. “If the enemy is targeting Elyonda, then their goal isn’t just the blood but also the royal family. I shall cleave anything in front of me, but if the city were to fall, more innocent blood will taint my soul. We need to protect the populace.”

I couldn’t help but smile at what he said. Even if he had become grimmer, he still had the spirit of a knight in him.

As such, I need to do my part now. Goddess Aurena! I need your help now, could you tell me what Arlond last saw?

… Goddess Aurena? Hello? Goddess Aurena! I need your help!

But my patron goddess wouldn’t answer to me. Was she busy, again?

Goddess Aure—

That was Yeostar’s voice.

Minor? I guess, in the grand scheme, but if I could know who killed Arlond, it could—

Now, Kramps was talking to me, but unlike most of the other times he spoke, he sounded quite irritated… at me!

But this is important! The demonkins or whoever they hired are currently moving and making their moves! Arlond died, but to whom? What did he see? We currently have no good leads outside of inspecting those islands. However, Arlond is from the Empire, so he should be devout to her, right? Goddess Aurena should know!

Hey, don’t try to use ‘closeness’ as an excuse, Kramps! You just called her ‘Aurena’ to me. At least, I have the sound mind to address Goddess Aurena properly when I am speaking with her.

… Yeah, the gods are listening in, huh? Well, too bad, Kramps. Anyway, Goddess Aurena, please, I need your help!

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Yeostar’s disapproving tone told me to stop, but if I could only get some help from Aurena, I could probably accelerate all of this investigation. I could possibly stop whatever those damn demonkins were planning if I could find the instigators first!

I—

His words struck me at the very core. It was impossible for me to speak back to him. Relying on people wasn’t a problem, but relying too much on them might be a problem. Especially when it was the gods, who were technically not supposed to influence things too much.

… Hmm, alright, I understand, but allow me to at leas—

—t.

Aurena finally answered me, but I could somehow hear some… hecticness in her voice? It was like someone answering the phone in a rush, sounding like they were out of breath or something. Aurena clearly didn’t sound like that, but it felt like she was pushing me to quickly state my intentions. Like she couldn’t spare any time, right now.

Uhm, were you busy with something? I could stop if you want me to.

It felt like Yeostar was staring at my very soul right now, telling me “I told you so.” It seemed I was being impatient, but I still believed I had to get this information out, if possible.

In any case, after explaining the situation to Aurena, she agreed and looked up Arlond’s perspective. From how she spoke to me, it honestly seemed like she hadn’t paid too much attention to my stay in Elyonda. Most likely, she delegated everything to Yeostar, and really was preoccupied with something else.

The silence felt suffocating.

I-I’m sorry.

… Yes. I’m sorry.

Huh? Summary? Why couldn’t you send me the entire video?

…

I didn’t say anything. I simply accepted her reasoning and went with it, only to suddenly receive all that information in my head. Anything Aurena had just seen was sent to me.

Arlond, as Larent expected, was taking a jog on the beach today. He had his steel horse, constructed from his armor, run beside him like a run partner. However, for some reason, the video was pretty unclear, with a lot of static making things hard to discern. Aurena told me this was ‘cause Arlond was less religious than I thought, weakening her link with him.

In any case, the memory continued when he suddenly heard some voices in the distance, drawing his attention to a couple of rowboats coming closer to the shore with crates on them. Instincts told him something was up, so he put his armor back on. Ready to pull his weapon, he strutted closer to the waters before shouting at the rowboats, asking who they were.

Those people turned around due to his voice, but the static made it impossible to see anything clear. I couldn’t even tell if they were male or female, human or beastmen. It was too hard, so I didn’t care.

Unfortunately, it was then that his vision was shot forward, landing head first into the water. He tried to stand up, but something pushed him back to the ground again before a piercing pain came from his back. He struggled and tried to reach for his weapon, but in the next moment, his arm was crushed.

He screamed like a shrieking banshee, crying out from his pain as he tried to look at what attacked him, only for him to suddenly see a giant sand creature with the body of a lion and the head and trunk of an elephant. The beast had placed his paw onto his left arm, not letting him take out his weapon.

And that was when the creature’s trunk struck him, cutting the video off.

… Wait! Thank you.

And she was gone.

And so, I had the fine duty of relaying this information to everybody else. The only person who couldn’t believe what I had said was Larent himself. He was obviously suspicious and wanted to question how I was so confident in this hearsay, only for Master to be the one to support me once again.

“Lady Hestia is a blessed, Sir Larent.”

“I understand that, but what she just described was too explicit! Too vivid. Blessed can receive visions and instructions from the gods, but if you want me to believe something like that descriptive, then I don’t know why you would want to fool me, Lady Hestia.” Larent looked annoyed, but I could understand it. Eshe did tell me even the most devout blessed couldn’t talk to their god for very long.

“Ahh, of course, but don’t forget that I am a Saint. I understand very well, and I so lament how I cannot listen to more of Xohulotel’s wisdom. Ooooh, Xohulotel, I am but your servant, so I plea to hear more of your voice!” Master kneeled onto the ground to give a quick prayer before continuing where he left off from. “However, Hestia is special, even amongst us blessed. Her very soul was blessed before she was born, and with this purity, she can even speak with the very gods! Ha ha ha ha, like nobles having small talk!”

Larent looked over to me, prompting me to simply come clean. “I’m a reincarnator and transmigrator. Like the dwarf’s Revolution Queen, Chihiro.”

“…?”

“I know, I know. Dragon, princess, blessed, and also an otherworldly reincarnator. I’m… I get it.” I shook my head nervously. “Well, to admit, I did annoy Goddess Aurena like a spoiled kid just now to get this information. Not only did I get scolded by her, but also by God Yeostar and my grandpapa, Kargryxmor. They really sounded angry, so let’s not waste this information…”

I felt so spoiled. In a bad way, of course, like I shouldn’t have pestered Aurena like that. I really shouldn’t forget that she was a god and had a world to manage, not only myself.

“…” Larent kept staring at me, seemingly having his thirst for revenge completely replaced by bafflement so crazy it looked like he would faint. Like a pious man learning something so crazy about his faith, he just didn’t want to believe it.

Seeing us like this, Krim-Slak laughed out loud. “Gahahaha, you always do the weirdest stuff, young scale! Of course, a follower would find it crazy. The poor man has had enough surprises today.”

While he was laughing, Grazlahta shrugged and spoke about the information I gave. “That broken arm part; coincidentally, the arm he lost was actually his left. You haven’t seen his corpse yet, but you gave detailed information on the armor and the body damage, right?”

“Well, I couldn’t see the damage to his armor. I could only see through his vision, and it was pretty fuzzy, really. Like, the last thing I saw was that creature hitting him with the trunk,” I replied, causing the green saurian to nod.

“Exactly. And that sand creature; lion and elephant, huh? Sounds like a yazhi, at least, that is what I remembered from the guild’s bestiary. Hmm, Kush, the fact a sand creature appeared like that, it sounds like a golem.”

“Mhmm.” Master nodded. “Sand, hmm? Definitely a golemancer at this point.”

“Golemancer? Is that a mage who focuses on golems like your unique skill, Saint Kushlek’zar?” Tasianna questioned.

“Exactly, my apprentice. You have a golem spell of your own in [Winter’s Golem], but in case you haven’t known yet, there aren’t many golem-creating System spells. Unlike those, the custom spell versions can only create and maintain a single golem per spell, outside of them having a unique skill like me. Golemancers are mages who have a varied list of golem-creating spells, or tools to help them maintain multiple copies.”

“It sounds a bit like a necromancy,” I stated, causing Master to approve my comparison.

“Storing souls in a phylactery, creating mana bonds to control undead like puppets. Mhmm, I can see why you would think they are golem, but there is always something that differentiates them: the materials used. Otherwise, a corpse would just be a flesh golem, and that is something no golemancer would like to hear.”

I understood the implication. Nobody would like to have their art associated with something the public wouldn’t like to hear.

During this thought, Larent suddenly perked back up. The confusion in his eyes were gone, returning back to the aloofness of before.

“A yazhi? Those monsters can be found in the north of the Empire and also at the border between them and Carmaniate. Very adaptable, even to the cold…” He then glanced over at me, giving me a small nod. “I understand. You have my oath of silence, Lady Hestia. I swear this to the God of Dragons and our Goddess.”

“Thank you.”

“Then that is settled then!” Krim-Slak bumped his chest. “So, we’re looking for some idiots who had just rowed a boat to shore this morning. The murderer of that Arlond is most likely someone from the Empire or whoever lived close to the borders to know these things. Or, an adventurer. There was no picture in the bestiary, and I don’t think Hestia had any problems describing it. Most likely accurate, so it had to be someone who had seen it in flesh.”

“Good, my friends, we have our goals.” Master clapped his hands. “Hestia, sorry, but for now, can you return to the arena? Larent missing will certainly unnerve our enemies, but they know you better. The longer you are away, the more they have to worry.”

I agreed.

“Then the rest will continue gathering information. Krim, Graz, bring Akast with you and search those islands. Ask one of those seafins at the docks to help out. Sir Larent and I shall go search the bars now that we have a better lead. Oh, and my apprentice, may I ask you to lend us Rajah?”

“Rajah?”

[“I am here!”] Rajah jumped out of his shadow without any warning. [“I am ready for action! Put me out there, Master’s Master!”]

He certainly is energetic.

“Good, we will need your nose, my dear feline friend! Skulk our shadows like dear Saori, and watch for anything we missed. Inform of us of everything, alright?”

[“Yes! I will do my best!”] The kid sounded even more crazed after hearing he was needed. [“Master, may I go?”]

“… Haaa, as if I could say no. Be careful, alright?”

[“Yes, Master! I shall do well!”]

And that was how my alliance with Larent was once again rekindled. Tasianna and I returned to the arena, understanding we should probably watch out for enemies there. Most likely, after I told everybody who I was, some spies were probably placed around to watch me. Without Saori or her garms around, this would be quite hard. I was out of practice looking for spies, after all.

And it also didn’t help the fourth match was about to start, meaning, Neill’s match.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Blood enjoyers! We have a match for you that will probably rival the first one we had today! A DRAGONEWT GIRL VERSUS A BEASTMEN! Hahahaha, but it probably won’t end the same way, right? After all, we actually have two favorites of this tournament squaring up against each other now!”

Do it, Sis!

“To my right, we have the illustrious horned brawler with a tendency to come in with the most flashiest outfits! Almost like our ‘Crimson Horned’ Hestia from before! ‘Stampeding Lightning’ Fargryneeiiiiilllllllll!”

C-Crimson Horned, are you freaking kidding me?!?!?!? He actually gave me a thir— a fourth nickname?! Use one!

“To my left, we have the beasts of beasts! A berserker whose very name would scare even veteran warriors, but I bet once he roars, all of you will just wet your pants! I wouldn’t judge you men out there, ahahaha! Welcome, Ghorush ‘Mountain Lion’ the Decaaaaapitatoooooor!”

“Ghrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrouuuuuuuuuuu!”

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