Chapter 230: Holy Nation (2)

“……Let’s stop here. I believe the test has been sufficient.”

A calm voice, one he had never heard before, rang out.

In other words, besides Paladin Ruthwell, there was someone else present in this space.

Paladin Ruthwell sheathed his greatsword with a solemn expression, and Carl also lowered the Heavenly Thunder Sword and looked up.

‘The aura has disappeared.’

It wasn’t neutralized or dispersed—it had literally vanished.

It didn’t seem to be magic or some kind of sorcery.

If it had been that sort of trick, he would have seen it with his eyes.

Which meant it must have been a type of divine power or miracle.

Soon, a burly priest appeared, his white robe fluttering as he walked in.

However, he did not give off the same Paladin-like impression as Ruthwell.

‘A cardinal?’

Seeing the ornament hanging from his neck, that seemed like a reasonable assumption.

Since Paladin Ruthwell had stepped back so obediently, he must be someone of higher rank, at the very least.

The man stepped forward slowly, drew a holy sign, and bowed his head to Carl.

“My apologies for making it look like a test. I am Nadram, the 11th Cardinal of the Holy Nation.”

“……The 11th? I thought the Holy Nation only had 10 cardinals.”

“I’ll explain that. But first, could you remove this barrier? It’s a bit stifling being stuck in the corner.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

At Crown Prince Yulian’s words, the barrier surrounding them vanished in an instant.

They returned to the space of an ordinary office, and several people inside it became visible.

First was Crown Prince Yulian, seated as always in his usual place, then the guard knight beside him staring at Carl with wide eyes, and off to the side stood Paladin Ruthwell, who had just sparred with Carl, and Nadram, who had introduced himself as a cardinal.

“So, what’s this about the 11th cardinal?”

“Officially, the 10th is the final cardinal. The 11th Cardinal is an unofficial figure who serves their faith silently without ever being announced. But during times of great crisis on the continent, someone like him appears…”

Glancing at Nadram, Crown Prince Yulian shrugged and added,

“You could call him the Holy Nation’s decisive weapon.”

“I’m honored by Your Highness’s flattery. I am merely the sword of the faithful and the fence protecting the lambs. When one enters my embrace, I do not turn them away but hold them warmly.”

“…….”

Yohaniel quietly watched them with the Heavenly Thunder Sword lowered.

Though he understood the situation roughly, it left a very unpleasant feeling.

Originally, his cooperation was strictly shared only with Crown Prince Yulian in close confidence.

And now, he had been exposed like this without a word of consultation?

At that moment, Crown Prince Yulian winked and sent him a message.

—Don’t worry. I haven’t revealed your biggest secret. They only think you’re a successor to the power of 《Justice》.

It meant he hadn’t mentioned the Authority of Return.

Whether that was true or not was another matter, but it was undeniably infuriating.

For a brief moment, he even reconsidered his contract with Crown Prince Yulian.

Still, he decided to fully assess the situation before making any cold-blooded decisions.

Clink, snap.

After sheathing the Heavenly Thunder Sword, Carl looked up and faced them.

“Then, is the test over?”

“Yes, it is.”

Cardinal Nadram responded with a smile, and Paladin Ruthwell scratched his head with an apologetic look.

“My apologies if it upset you. To be honest, entering the sacred barrier itself was enough verification. Corrupt beings cannot exist peacefully within it.”

“Then……”

“The part about wanting to test myself against you was genuine. It’s not every day one gets to duel with a successor of myth, after all. I suppose I’m a bit rough in that regard.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll let it slide. It was a fairly good fight on my end as well. However……”

He turned his gaze to Crown Prince Yulian.

While he could overlook the others, his eyes clearly asked why he, of all people, had gone along with it.

Crown Prince Yulian averted his eyes subtly, dodging his gaze.

“The information you provided was incredibly valuable. That’s why I had to push forward with this alliance—I believed we could cooperate.”

“I’d appreciate it if things like this didn’t happen again. From my position, I must always be wary, since anyone could be an enemy.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

He had spoken firmly enough that they should understand.

If not, and they still failed to come to their senses, then…

Just as Carl was imagining the future, Crown Prince Yulian resumed his explanation.

“Based on Alforam and the intel gathered from your activities, the Empire and the Holy Nation have planned a joint investigation force. The name is Spia Divina. It means ‘Holy Spear’. Using the intel you’ve provided, we’ve successfully identified several suspicious regions.”

“The portal leading to the Demon Realm was especially shocking. I didn’t think they would’ve achieved something that extensive. While it’s small-scale, and high-ranking demons may not be able to pass through, even low-ranking demons would be catastrophic in the Middle Realm.”

“Such wicked beings. I wonder how many sacrifices it took to reach that point.”

Both made the holy sign and quietly invoked the name of their god.

“Spia Divina. Security will be of the utmost importance. If the members are exposed, they’ll become targets of every demon, devil, and demon human on the continent.”

“Don’t worry about that. The Holy Nation will protect it thoroughly.”

“The Holy Nation has constantly been cultivating its strength in preparation for this kind of situation.”

“In the past, we continuously reduced their numbers through active witch hunts, but as times changed, that method inevitably caused various issues.”

Carl nodded at Nadram’s words.

It was said that the number of people who were unjustly killed during those witch hunts was countless.

If it were to be operated like that, it was better off gone.

…But what was with that regretful expression?

‘Seems like not everyone in the Holy Nation is sane.’

Well, could those fighting the insane powers of the Demon Realm really be sane themselves?

With that rough justification, he asked Crown Prince Yulian and those sitting in front of him.

“So, what is it that you want me to do?”

They wouldn’t have summoned him just to talk about such things.

When he asked whether there was a purpose, Crown Prince Yulian nodded.

“Become the Hero.”

“…The Hero?”

But the word was so out of the blue that it caused a slight delay in reaction.

He thought they would say something like join Spia Divina or cooperate for a joint effort, but Hero?

When Carl hesitated and asked for an explanation, Nadram continued.

“You’re well aware of the continent’s legends. Whenever the Demon Realm invades, a Hero destined to oppose the Demon King always appears.”

“Well, that is true.”

“The benevolent Goddess, most graciously, informs our Holy Nation first of the Hero’s birth. Through the Blessing of the Trial.”

“…Blessing of the Trial.”

Carl vaguely remembered hearing about it from his parents when he was young.

A Hero didn’t just show up with a ‘ta-da.’

They were chosen, granted divine name, then went to the Holy Nation to prove themselves and had to pass the Blessing of the Trial to be reborn as a true Hero.

However, he remembered the process being absurdly difficult.

‘It was something like fighting a giant the size of a mountain, defeating a dragon with three heads, and going to hell to beat up the gatekeeper or some nonsense like that.’

Even for someone like Carl now, it was questionable whether he could succeed.

And they wanted him to risk his life for that?

‘I’d rather double down on absorbing Kylos’s divinity.’

The return on investment wasn’t worth it.

He had no interest in the attention and fame that came with being a Hero, not to mention the inevitable assassination attempts and killing intent that would follow.

“The Holy Nation will open the Blessing of the Trial in about a week.”

“Why a week later? Couldn’t you just open it right away?”

“We don’t know who the Hero is, so we have to start by testing the most promising candidates. That’s why we go around the regions and give priority to those who seem suitable. It’s for efficiency.”

“Hm.”

It was a rational approach.

Rather than getting annoyed with a massive crowd, it was far better to filter from those who actually seemed capable.

“I believe Sir Carl has considerable potential.”

Paladin Ruthwell looked at Carl with sparkling eyes.

“Strength that doesn’t match his age. Likely a result of the heroic bloodline deeply inherited from the Leipzig lineage. And having surpassed the Trial of ‘Justice’ and succeeded in inheriting the myth of the past, there is nothing lacking for him to claim the name of Hero.”

He clenched his fist and continued passionately without pause.

He seemed quite excited, but still—Hero?

Carl slightly furrowed his brow, and Nadram provided support.

“You only need to take the test. If it’s too burdensome, even if you do become the Hero, we won’t make it public. In the worst case, we’ll just create a fake identity.”

“…”

Carl, of course, didn’t believe it.

There were people everywhere who changed their words easily.

But the reason he didn’t immediately reject it and was hesitating was different.

‘I already have Kylos’s divinity.’

The divine powers bestowed by each deity were distinctly different.

They couldn’t be mixed.

Having already absorbed a significant amount of Kylos’s divinity, could he still receive the Goddess’s blessing and become a Hero?

‘To be honest, I’m not sure what’s even different between me and a Hero right now.’

He could use considerable divine power without even believing in gods.

It wasn’t a holy sword, but he’d acquired a blade that rivaled one.

Support from the Holy Nation would pour in on its own as long as he held sway over Crown Prince Yulian.

No matter how he thought about it, becoming a Hero would only bring more nuisance than benefit.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to decline. Physically and mentally, I don’t think I’m suited to be a Hero.”

“That’s for the Goddess to decide. Sir Carl, you just need to take a simple test.”

Ruthwell persisted in his persuasion.

But when Carl stood firm without budging, he finally sighed and raised the white flag.

“…Honestly, I don’t understand from my position. It’s a chance to go down in history as a Hero, so why…”

“If you want it that much, why didn’t you try it yourself?”

“Of course I did. Paladins are among the first to be tested. Naturally, I wasn’t fit to be a Hero.”

Ruthwell shook his head with a bitter smile.

“If it’s Sir Carl, who inherited ‘Justice,’ I am convinced he can surely become the Hero.”

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