Chapter 752

Chapter 752

I learned it from you. (1)

The Forest of Beasts’ Core was still filled with a gloomy and dark aura. The outskirts were being swiftly developed, but the core remained untouched and left alone. This was because, before Ghislain collapsed, he had strictly forbidden any access to the core.

A group was now approaching this dangerous core.

An elf with a hood pulled deep over his head spoke cautiously.

"Great Chieftain, if you go any further, it will be dangerous."

"……."

Ereneth, who was leading the way, briefly gazed at the forest filled with intense malice.

Ghislain had led his army and cleared the monsters here, but the remaining aura of corruption was still terrifying. Even for a fairly strong person, entering this place was no easy feat. From the moment one stepped in, one had to fight against the aura of corruption.

Ereneth spoke in a low voice.

"Wait here for a while."

"Great Chieftain! It’s too dangerous!"

At those words, Ereneth answered with a faint, sorrowful smile.

"It is a place dear to me."

"Yes?"

"I will be back shortly, so wait for me."

Without saying anything more, Ereneth moved inward.

Ssshhh...

The aura of corruption rushed toward her, but it had no effect on her.

Ereneth did not summon spirits to purify the surroundings. She did not suppress the approaching malice.

She simply moved naturally, as if breathing, and every time the aura touched her, it dissipated.

Ereneth quickly passed through the forest filled with corruption and stepped onto the scorched, scarred earth.

Then she looked at the massive black barrier spread before her eyes.

Gaaaaa...

The barrier constantly emitted an ominous aura, wavering as if exhaling pained breaths in a strange rhythm.

Ereneth quietly approached the barrier and reached out her hand.

‘As expected…….’

The barrier was firmly sealed. No, it was blocking the energy that was pouring out from within.

"……Duke of Fenris. Just how did you manage to enter inside?"

Ereneth could not bring herself to believe Ghislain’s words. That was why she stopped by to confirm it before leaving Ritania.

She was still confused. The Duke of Fenris’s conversation with the Saintess, the dream, all of it.

"Was it really because of that necklace……?"

When the Duke of Fenris first obtained the Saintess’s necklace, she pretended not to know.

But she knew well that he was suspicious of her.

"My acting is still clumsy, it seems."

Ereneth closed her eyes.

Her old comrades always used to tell her that she was terrible at acting.

Each time, she would get defensive, believing herself to be perfect.

However...

Yes, those days were truly joyful.

Just thinking about it brought a smile to her face.

The days when they fought together to save the world, laughed together, and protected one another.

It was the most glorious time of all. So beautiful that it brought happiness, and because of that, it was also a painful memory she almost wished to forget.

Tears fell from Ereneth’s eyes.

“Duke of Fenris, I know about that necklace. It was the necklace that the former Great Chieftain gave to the Saintess.”

But she did not speak of it. She could not say it, nor did she want to.

It was a memory she should now forget, a fate already passed.

After gently stroking the barrier several times, Ereneth quietly turned around.

‘The power of the Adversary is growing stronger.’

Her own strength was approaching the peak of her prime once again. And that meant the power of the Adversary was being revived as well.

Ever since the Duke of Fenris collapsed, the speed at which her strength was returning had accelerated.

That strange coincidence continued to leave a bitter feeling in one corner of her heart.

But she soon steeled her resolve.

‘Duke of Fenris, what happens to you, now no longer matters.’

It was a past already gone. Even if the Duke of Fenris discovered something, nothing would change.

Ereneth spoke coldly.

“Find the Adversary, kill him, and eliminate all the remnants of the Salvation Church.”

That was the only way to make the sacrifice of everyone a thousand years ago meaningful.

Step.

As she took a step forward, Ereneth’s body suddenly staggered.

Drip, drip…

Blood trickled from the tip of her nose.

Ereneth could not understand.

“I…?”

She was bleeding from the nose and unable to steady herself?

Her head immediately felt foggy, as though something was tangling and twisting inside her mind.

“Cough!”

Suddenly, tremendous pressure crushed Ereneth, and she vomited blood.

“This is….”

It was only for a brief moment, but Ereneth sensed it.

Something vast, transcending time, was intervening in her mind.

And…

This world was beginning to change, little by little.

---

While walking, Lionel relentlessly pestered Deneb.

“Please give me back my Divine Power!”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You took all of my Divine Power!”

“My Divine Power is exactly the same as before. I truly have no idea what’s going on.”

Deneb sincerely thought the situation back then had been a miracle. Her Divine Power was still as meager as ever.

Even so, Ilaniel trusted her and handed over the Sacred Stone. That fact was so overwhelming that she still felt burdened and didn’t know what to do.

Yet Lionel kept demanding his Divine Power back, which left him at a loss.

Lionel was rather persistent.

“Give me back my Divine Power!”

"I never took it, and I don’t even know how to give it back."

Since this argument repeated every day, Ghislain finally stepped in.

"Hey, what’s done is done. Divine Power isn’t something you can just hand over to someone else."

"I definitely felt it! My Divine Power being absorbed by that lowly priestess!"

"Ah, you’re just mistaken. That kind of thing doesn’t exist."

Ghislain had asked Deneb several times as well. But Deneb was completely unaware that anything like that had happened.

However, there was one thing Ghislain had gained from this.

‘She saw the Salvation Church’s darkness and thought nothing of it.’

Right after that, the so-called miracle occurred.

From that, Ghislain could roughly deduce the situation.

‘This was Deneb’s first real exposure to the Salvation Church’s aura.’

It seemed that being exposed to the Salvation Church’s aura brought her closer to awakening. It was understandable.

Divine Power and the Salvation Church’s aura were opposites. Especially for the Saintess, the Salvation Church was practically a natural enemy.

She hadn’t fully awakened yet, but he had obtained the Sacred Stone. That meant a new condition had been added.

Now, Ghislain started to wonder what would happen when Deneb encountered the Salvation Church’s aura again and fought them.

For now, that was all he could speculate. The exact reason why Lionel’s Divine Power had disappeared was still unclear.

Ghislain casually suggested.

"Since you lost your Divine Power anyway, how about training in the Mana Refinement Technique? Your family should have one passed down, right?"

"What?"

"Start properly training from the beginning. You seem to have the basics, so if I teach you, you might grow fast."

Ghislain had no intention of tormenting Lionel. After all, Lionel was also a companion of the Hero who fought against the Apostle in the dream.

Naturally, he felt a sense of duty to help him grow as well.

At Ghislain’s words, Lionel laughed loudly.

"You’re going to teach me? You, a Black Mage? I know you’re pretty strong, but magic and swordsmanship are entirely different. Do you think someone like you could handle me in a fight without magic?"

Lionel genuinely believed that. He had never seen Ghislain fighting properly.

Even when they had gone to support the elves, it was the Death Knights who fought. Ghislain merely used magic and later got beaten up by the Salvation Church’s priest.

He knew Ghislain had quite a bit of practical experience and was fairly strong, but it all seemed like applications of magic. Naturally, he assumed Ghislain was weak in actual physical combat.

At that, Ghislain smirked and spoke.

"Want to give it a try?"

"What are you saying?"

"I won’t use magic or even mana. Let’s fight purely with physical abilities and technique."

"Pfft!"

Lionel involuntarily laughed. But the laughter didn’t last long.

He soon glared at Ghislain with furious eyes.

"You must think I’m a joke since I’ve lost my Divine Power and suffered one humiliation after another."

"Well, not exactly to that extent."

"If not, you wouldn’t dare to insult me like this. Fine. I accept your challenge. What will you do if you lose?"

"What do you want?"

"Hand over the Sacred Stone immediately."

As soon as they left the forest, Lionel had tried to receive the Sacred Stone from Deneb. But because of Ghislain’s opposition, he ultimately couldn’t get it.

Deneb was troubled as well, but in this mercenary corps, there was no one who could go against Ghislain’s word.

That’s why Lionel had been simmering with anger inside.

Ghislain nodded.

"Fine, I’ll hand over the Sacred Stone right away. Anything else you want?"

"The hierarchy in this group is a complete mess. I’ll take over as the official leader. From now on, you will all follow my orders unconditionally."

"Of course. Naturally. But if I win, you’ll follow my orders unconditionally. No, just join the mercenary corps. You’ll be the youngest member. Got it?"

"Hah, fine. I don’t know if a mere mercenary will keep his word, but I am a knight. I swear on my honor and the name of the Holy Empire."

Lionel drew his sword and raised his shield. As long as his opponent didn’t use magic or even mana, he was confident he wouldn’t lose in pure physical ability and technique.

His family’s techniques and Mana Refinement Technique were excellent enough to be highly regarded even within the Holy Empire.

But that didn’t mean he was completely without worry.

‘Even if I win, will that mercenary really keep his promise? They might just gang up on me with numbers.’

Most likely, they wouldn’t keep their promise. Mercenaries were originally insignificant people who didn’t even know the meaning of honor.

Even so, he was determined to go through with the duel.

‘I can’t forgive this. I’ll make him understand his place this time.’

He had always been admired by those around him, but after joining this mercenary corps, he felt like a fool.

He intended to vent his accumulated anger and take revenge for the humiliation he had suffered until now.

Seeing Lionel full of determination, Ghislain smirked.

"Hey, bring me a club and a shield."

Soon, the mercenaries brought him a suitable club and a small shield.

Lionel’s swordsmanship excelled in defensive techniques that utilized a shield. In other words, his swordsmanship was designed to block enemies on the frontlines or to prolong duels.

So Ghislain also took up a shield to face him with the same style.

Seeing that, Lionel’s lips twisted.

"Insolent…"

Shield technique was different from swordsmanship. To use a shield well, one had to train as long as one did with the sword.

‘I’ve lived my whole life with a shield!’

When he was born and had his first birthday, even at the family’s selection ceremony, he had chosen the shield.

For someone like him, it was an unbearable insult to see a magician who only ever used a staff act so arrogant. And with such a shabby, small shield at that.

"I’ll make you know your place!"

Paaak!

Lionel charged forward with great force, raising his shield high.

His strategy was to push powerfully at the start and break the opponent’s balance. With determined eyes, he put his weight behind the shield.

Kaaang!

However, Ghislain received Lionel’s attack without the slightest shake.

Then, slightly tilting his shield, Ghislain smoothly deflected Lionel’s charge.

"What?"

As Lionel faltered momentarily, losing his balance, Ghislain’s club aimed for his head.

Kaaang!

Lionel barely blocked with his sword and quickly backed off to catch his breath. His face was filled with bewilderment and tension.

‘A coincidence? It must be a coincidence. Yes, just a coincidence.’

The shield technique Ghislain showed was precise and outstanding. There was no way a magician could display such high-level shield skill.

As Lionel hesitated, Ghislain lightly flicked his shield.

"Seems like your skills are lacking. Did you really learn properly?"

"You bastard…"

Angered, Lionel lowered his body again and raised his shield to attack. But Ghislain once more met his shield and smoothly deflected the attack.

Kaaang!

Lionel lost his balance again. The moment his balance broke, Ghislain’s club unerringly flew at him.

Puck!

"Ugh!"

Hit on the arm, Lionel grimaced in pain. Still, as a knight who had undergone long training, he immediately counterattacked.

Kaaang!

Ghislain lightly raised his shield and blocked Lionel’s strike.

Lionel continued his attacks without pause. He realized it would be dangerous if he stopped.

Kaaang! Kaaang! Kaaang!

Ghislain blocked Lionel’s fierce attacks without wavering. His shield was as firm as a wall, not allowing any attack to break through easily.

The more it continued, the more anxious Lionel became.

‘Wh-why? How is he using a shield so well!’

It didn’t make sense. He had never heard of a magician like this. Where in the world is there a magician who mastered shield techniques?

Yet, he couldn’t deny what he saw. Ghislain’s shield technique was nearly perfect.

Suddenly, Lionel realized that Ghislain’s shield movements looked strangely familiar.

‘Wh-what? No way… That shield technique…’

Kaaang! Kaaang! Kaaang!

The shield movements and the connected attacks were similar to his own style. No, they were exactly the same, like a reflection in a mirror.

Lionel muttered involuntarily.

"How… How do you know our family’s technique…"

That Black Mage was freely using his family’s technique.

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