Chapter 103: Ignorance

“What…!”

As my former mentor and the two fellow apprentices from the Golden Generation, all widened their eyes in disbelief watching me behead the Hydra. They might have understood that I was different from five years ago, when we had crossed swords, but they certainly hadn’t expected me to single-handedly slay a mythical creature like a dragon.

I felt a pleasant sense of superiority at the bewildered look on their faces.

Swinging my soul equipment and wiping off the blood and flesh from the blade, I addressed the three of them with an intentionally slow pace.

” ‘We three shall assist you from here on?’ Not necessary. You’re no help to me.”

I scoffed at them, and Gozu returned my words with an admiring expression.

“I am at a loss for words. I thought I understood Sora’s growth, but I never expected you to single-handedly slay a mythical creature. It’s remarkable! The lord of the castle will surely be delighted. If other warriors hear of this feat, they’ll have no objections to Sora’s return.”

“…And that’s supposed to make me happy?”

As Gozu said something irrelevant, I gave a cold response, and he continued speaking with even more enthusiasm.

“This is a crucial moment for Sora. Depending on the lord’s wishes, he might even be able to reclaim your position as the heir! It’s not just a dream anymore!”

“….Hm.”

I was about to laugh it off, but the moment I heard the word ‘heir’, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of excitement.

It wasn’t that I was attached to my position before. I just found myself attracted to the scenario of returning as a dragon slayer and heir, and showing off to those who had betrayed me. That was what I had desired the most five years ago. If I had acquired my soul equipment immediately after being exiled from the island, I would have probably accepted Gozu’s invitation.

Perhaps sensing my response, Gozu tried to continue his words with more enthusiasm.

I raised my left hand and interrupted him. It was needless to think further. The past was the past, and the present was the present. I intended to return to the Mitsurugi family soon, but it would not be in the manner that Gozu had wished for. Regardless of how things turn out, I couldn’t accept his invitation at this moment.

Before I knew it, my heart that was once shaken had regained its composure.

“Anyway, Gozu. If you guys are here, can I assume that the Stampede has stopped?”

Putting aside the topic of my return, I brought up another question. Gozu still seemed to have something to say, but I prioritized my doubts.

Why had Gozu and the others appeared before the Hydra fell, which was the cause of the Stampede? According to the agreement with Ishka, I was supposed to fight the Hydra while Gozu and the others stopped the Stampede. If they had broken the agreement on their own, I needed to hurry back to Ishka.

While clutching the hilt of my soul-eating blade, I posed my question to Gozu, who responded with a nod.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ve expelled all the demons that were going to be expelled in these three days. When we entered the forest, there were only a handful of monsters that came out.”

According to Gozu, soldiers and adventurers stationed at the defense lines could handle such a small number of monsters.

I judged that there was no lie in his words. Although I had many thoughts about Gozu, I knew that he was not a person who would tell obvious lies.

So, the immediate crisis posed by the Hydra and the Stampede has passed.

Of course, not all the problems have been resolved. Even if we defeat the Hydra, its poison remains. The contamination of the Titis Forest has reached a hopeless level and the Kale River is likely to be contaminated as well. The situation is such that the Canaria Kingdom could collapse, not just Ishka. The problems are piling up.

However, this is not something that I alone can handle. The Hydra, which was the cause, has been eliminated. As for the rest, I truly feel that it’s up to the king, the nobles, the adventurers’ guild, the temple of law, and other people with power, responsibility, and wealth to do their best.

But, I do have acquaintances among these people.

Astrid, Claudia, and the rest of the Dragnaut family are at the top of the national nobility, and Priestess Sarah is a member of the Temple of the Law.

If I were to tell them, ‘I leave the rest to you,’ and flee to another country, that would be quite uncool. Besides, there are things to be gained from overcoming the difficult situation that cannot be accomplished with just a sword.

If I, through the efforts of ‘Blood Spraying Sword,’ can solve problems, including defeating the Hydra, the fame within the Kingdom of Canaria will become unshakable. It would also be amusing to show those who have abandoned me what I am capable of.

After gathering my thoughts, I looked at Gozu and the others again.

“So, Gozu, you said you were going back to the island to report after you took down the mythical creature in Ishka. Was that really what you intended to do?”

“Yes, that’s correct. If possible, we would like you to accompany us Sora.”

“I see.”

I casually nodded, ignoring the latter part of his response.

If Gozu and the others return to Demon Island, it means that the Mitsurugi family will know about me killing the Jijinbou and defeating the mythical creature. Of course, the existence of the Kijin girl Suzume will also become known.

That was somewhat inconvenient for me. Naturally, the option of “silencing” them came to mind.

Originally, the temporary ceasefire three days ago was for that purpose. While I was consuming the Hydra, it was necessary to have forces to restrain Stampede, so I reluctantly put away my sword.

The ceasefire ended when the Hydra was defeated and the Stampede was subdued. Even if those who attacked Suzume and the others were slain, no one would have the right to complain. There were no bystanders around, and the corpses would dissolve with the poison, so the clean-up process would be minimal. It was a perfect situation to settle the matter.

Three Green Woods Warriors’ worth of souls would certainly make for a satisfying meal – I’m sure I would have thought that way three days ago.

But now, for some reason, I no longer feel that way. Perhaps it’s because the need to carry out the “necessary measures” has faded away within me.

Once it becomes known that I killed Jijinbou, defeated the mythical creatures, and that the Kijin girl Suzume exists, what does it matter?

If the Mitsurugi family comes after me and Suzume, I’ll just turn the tables on them. Even if Gozu’s superior disciple comes, or even if the main forces of the Eight Flags come, I, who have eaten a mythical creature, can win.

Instead, I even think it’s better not to silence them. I could even enjoy imagining the reaction of the Demon Island people who were informed of my survival and strength from Gozu’s mouth.

Even for Gozu and the others, who I was able to level up just by cutting them down three days ago, I wouldn’t gain a single level even if I killed all three of them together now. If there’s no point in silencing them, and no point in devouring them, then it’s only natural that my will to fight would be killed, too.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m just going to let them go for free.

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“I’d tell you to get lost if you’re gonna leave, but let’s start with one or two things. Do you feel like apologizing for attacking Suzume and injuring my friends? If you bow your heads to the people involved and apologize, we might consider it.”

It wasn’t Gozu but Klimt who responded first to those words. My white-haired red-eyed former fellow disciple curled his lips mockingly and spoke out.

“That’s nonsense. Sora, do you think of the Kijin as just another type of demi-human? If we were to leave that girl alone, the next time a Mythical Creature could appear right beside you. Kijin are lethal when they see an enemy, and fools who defend them out of ignorance are the same.”

Klimt said that with contempt, and without waiting for a response, he continued speaking.

“Even that elf should have been killed with the first strike. Be grateful that she’s still alive. The same goes for the beastmen and the magician who got in the way of my sister!”

“I see, so you have no intention of apologizing.”

I calmly received the hostility of the other party. Klimt narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but I kept my gaze on Claira. She slowly opened her mouth.

“I am sorry for injuring those who were not kijin. However, I do not think that it was wrong to slay kijin. As Klimt said, and as Sora-dono knows, it is an iron rule for the practitioners of the Phantom Blade Style to exterminate mythical creatures.”

“So, you won’t apologize either.”

As for Gozu, there was no need to ask him. I have heard all of his remarks through Lidelle. There is no way that guy who said he was willing to become a criminal to defeat the Kijin, would bow his head to the Kijin now.

With that, the first question was over.

“Now, the second question. As Klimt said, it seems there’s some information about Kijin that I don’t know. Are you going to tell me about it? What does it mean for a mythical creature to appear next to me?”

From Klimt’s words, I can make a certain guess. It’s about the danger of demon gods manifesting themselves by using Kijin bodies as vessels or something like that.

But if Suzume could do such a thing, she would have used that power when she was attacked by the basilisk.

It’s not just about Suzume. As far as I know, there has only been one instance of a demon god manifesting in the last three hundred years. If the duty of the Phantom Blade Style is to kill all the Kijin for the slim chance of preventing their manifestation, which occurs only once every few hundred years, then that is already reaching the level of fanaticism.

Or perhaps, there were numerous cases of demon gods manifesting, and were the Mitsurugi family or the Adoastera Empire erasing all of them?

In response to these questions, Gozu reluctantly replied.

“Sora-dono, that is a secret of the Mitsurugi family, and I cannot disclose it without permission. If Sora-dono returns and attains mastery of the Phantom Blade Style, reaching the Demon Gate, then Lord of the castle himself may speak with you.”

“I see. So, you were following the Mitsurugi family’s rules and tried to kill innocent people. You have no intention of apologizing because it was within the rules. You can’t disclose the reason for the attack either because of the rules. If you want to know more, you must do as we ask.”

After summarizing Gozu’s argument, I snorted. “It’s all about yourselves, from start to finish. It’s quite arrogant and refreshing. If you guys are going to be like that, then I’ll move according to my own convenience without hesitation.”

Saying that, I readied my Soul Eater and silently increased my kei.

Sensing the hostile intent in my actions, Gozu, Klimt, and Claira each readied their Soul Equipment and confronted me.

And then Klimt stepped forward from among the three of them and moved to face me. He glared at me with a menacing look and said as if spitting it out.

“Sora, I’ll teach you one thing since you’re overjoyed after defeating a Mythical Creature for the first time. There are plenty of monsters in Demon Island that rival Mythical Creatures. We’re fighting in places like that. You can’t imagine it, can you? You’re so pleased with yourself for swinging your Soul Equipment around against weaklings. That’s also true for Kijin girl Suzume, but ignorance is a sin. That’s exactly what they say for people like you right now.”

It seemed that Klimt was also holding onto some grudges, as he began to lash out at me with a pale-lipped scowl.

The deep crimson long sword in Klimt’s hand responded to his fighting spirit with a resounding roar, sending out a fierce heat that seemed capable of burning even the air itself.

Given Klimt’s character, he would normally strike me down without hesitation, but he refrained from doing so because of the memory of his defeat at Ishka. This was evidenced by Klimt’s gaze fixated on my black blade.

If we clashed our Soul Equipment, even Kuryu’s flames would be overwhelmed. It was natural for Klimt to be wary of that.

Seeing Klimt like that, I thought to myself.

It was only natural for Klimt to be on guard against the Soul Eater. It could easily extinguish even the flames of Kurikara. As I watched him, I thought he was probably eager to get his revenge for what happened in Ishka, which had fueled his fighting spirit. I had defeated Klimt back then by launching a surprise attack. He couldn’t accept that he had lost not because of his lack of skill, and that feeling had driven him to fight here and now.

— His appearance was utterly comical.

Looking at Klimt who thought he was on the same stage as me, my lips naturally rose. Klimt noticed it and his voice sharpened.

“What’s so funny!?”

“I just thought what you said made sense. Ignorance is a sin. That’s true, but it’s a shame the speaker isn’t aware of their own ignorance.”

“What nonsense from someone who doesn’t even know the basics, like the demon gate and the kijin! If there’s something you know that I don’t, then speak up!”

“Well, that’s because of the difference in strength between you and me, Klimt Berch! Roooooooar!!!”

I roared to teach Klimt a lesson and increased my kei.

I raised it, raised it, raised it even more, and kept raising it while watching Klimt’s face turn to shock. I kept increasing my kei even more while looking at the terrified Claira and the stunned Gozu.

I’ll keep going just like me. There’s still more ahead. Towards the limits that lie beyond, I’ll raise my kei (power) relentlessly without ever being satisfied.

Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher――――

Suddenly, a sound like a whip cracking echoes in the surroundings. The ground beneath my feet cracks open widely. The cracks don’t stop at just one. One after another, the ground cracks and shatters with a cracking sound.

Immediately after, the earth trembles with a roar, and the ground around me sinks in a circular shape as if it can no longer bear my existence.

Before I know it, the dust is rising fiercely, even though there is no wind.

The swirling dust, roaring and undulating like a tornado, grows larger and larger, picking up the soil and sand from the broken ground. The color of the tornado, containing the red soil of Titis, is red.

Although on a different scale, the sight resembles the crimson tornado that the poison dragon Hydra had created.

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