I Became the Dark Knight in the Game World - Chapter 16

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Order

◈ I Became the Dark Knight in the Game World ◈

Chapter 16: What Is This? Take It. (1)

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Morgina's mind was busier than ever.

Most of it was because of Kriel.

It was not because she was devising a strategy for her romantic prospects with him. Kriel had undeniably played a major part in helping her restrain her naturally explosive temper, the sort of temper the Church of Eve Kaha had judged to be that of a complete delinquent.

But not this time.

What occupied Morgina's thoughts now was Kriel's "constitution," the one that had caused so much trouble at the Temple Gate.

Under normal circumstances, throwing Kriel before the Saints would have been practically suicidal. He held the title of Champion of Eve Kaha, so they would not execute him on the spot, but they would have beaten him half to death and rendered him helpless.

But things were different now.

‘Why doesn't Divine Power work on him? Why can traces of the Abyss be detected? We can explain all of it.’

The curse of one of the Seven Demon Weapons explained why divine healing was less effective.

The curse of one of the Seven Demon Weapons also explained the traces of the Abyss.

And if they confirmed that even Saint-level Divine Power properly healed him rather than causing him pain, then the suspicion that he was an Abyssal sympathizer would be put to rest for the time being.

That was why Morgina had dragged the reluctant Kriel out and made the Saints treat him.

‘If we can just get through this, no cleric in the Holy City of Temlis will have anything to say to Kriel!’

Morgina was just about to launch into the carefully prepared argument, so unlike her usual self.

"...?"

She noticed something strange in the Saints' gazes as they looked at her. Bewilderment bordering on fear, curiosity, and pity?

"What? Why are you looking at me like-"

"Tsk."

Kriel stopped Morgina before she could blurt out something vulgar. She frowned and grumbled, "Grr..." before immediately correcting herself.

"Treat him already. I can't handle him by myself."

The Saints did not bother asking, "Aren't you a Saintess too?" They had realized there was a better way to provoke Morgina's temper. They also sensed that treating Kriel, the Champion, and getting him talking might reveal some interesting news.

"Old man. Take this."

Ignoring the unsettling anticipation in the Saints' faces as they crowded around Kriel, Morgina threw Corpse-Eating Sword Gratuon to the elderly Martial monk.

At a glance, it looked more like a bundle of red chains. The elderly Martial monk caught it easily, then clicked his tongue as he felt the pulse of sinister energy within.

"What is this? It has such a vicious presence even wrapped in your divine artifact."

"Gratuon."

"One of the Seven Demon Weapons? Hoho, I thought there was no way one of the Seven Demon Weapons would suddenly turn up in a backwater like this."

"You're basically the leader of this group, old man, so report it to the Holy City. I'm taking that guy straight to the headquarters of the Church of Eve Kaha."

The elderly Martial monk scratched his white hair. Saints generally wandered around looking for their own work rather than staying in the Holy City, but was this case not different?

"Didn't the two of you recover one of the Seven Demon Weapons? If you report to the Holy City, there might even be a victory parade. No, there may not be a special event because of the security measures required for one of the Seven Demon Weapons, but you'll still receive a reward."

"...He doesn't want to."

Morgina muttered so quietly that even the elderly Martial monk, whose senses far surpassed those of ordinary people, could not be sure he had heard her properly.

"Hm?"

"He says he doesn't want to go to the Holy City. Damn it."

The ending of that sentence, so unlike a Saintess, carried deep disappointment.

* * *

I could hear Morgina grumbling behind me.

"I'm telling you, if we just go to the Holy City, that brat Priest-King will pull some stylish armor that's been sitting in the ceremonial equipment store for three hundred years. Don't be so grumpy. Come with me."

"I have no business in Temlis."

To be honest, I did not want to go there.

I had no idea the Temple Gate was so good at detecting the Abyss. At first, I was flustered enough to wonder if I was about to get raided.

In Tirnanog RPG, the Sacred Kingdom was where those at the forefront of eradicating the Abyss gathered. If you played as an Abyssal faction, it was the vanguard and final bulwark of the Anti-Abyss battle you faced.

I had not done anything like worship the Abyss, but stopping by the Holy City for a private meeting with the Priest-King felt burdensome. What if they said something like, "Sir Knight, you seem to have an Abyssal demon lodged in your head?"

Following Morgina's suggestion, I had managed to convince the Saints, ‘Ah, that guy couldn't possibly be of the Abyss,’ by receiving Divine Power physical therapy from them...

Still, only people who had seen it themselves would believe it. Not everyone would accept a cumbersome excuse like, ‘I was perfectly clean, but I got stabbed in the chest wrong.’

Even getting in and out would be a problem. It would be awkward if the Temple Gate lit up every time I passed through. It was fine while I wore the Mark of the Great Warrior, but I had planned to return it as soon as my work was done.

"Hey, horsehead! Talk some sense into this blockhead!"

[Me? How? I am but a sword, so I can only go where my wielder wishes to go.]

After Orisin's halfhearted answer, Morgina started bickering with the horse-headed ghost again. It was enough to make me shake my head. Their pointless arguments were beginning to feel like part of daily life.

‘It's hard to believe they only met a few days ago.’

Neither Orisin nor Morgina truly hated the other. At this point, I could probably call them friends who liked to snap at each other. Once their argument died down, I asked,

"Can't you just take the Mark of the Great Warrior and handle the return procedure for me? I remember you practically tossed it at me without much fuss when you gave it to me."

"That was at the Grand Temple. The ceremony had already been completed before I gave it to you, so only the presentation remained. There was a proper procedure."

Morgina had stubbornly clung to me when I tried to return the Mark of the Great Warrior and part ways. Apparently, she could hand it out however she pleased, but taking it back required a special process.

I had to undergo a ceremony to step down from the position under the guidance of a high-ranking cleric at the Grand Temple in the Holy City, or somewhere of equivalent status.

It naturally made me wonder whether appointment procedures were usually more complicated than retirement procedures.

Still, the headquarters of the Church of Eve Kaha was near where I was headed anyway. I was practically on indefinite leave from the army, so it was not as if I could not delay my return by a day or two.

"By the way, why are you going to the Empire? It's in the exact opposite direction from the Western United Kingdom."

"Magic is the most advanced there. My excuse for leaving the unit was to purify that horsehead."

"...It will be difficult for magic to purify what Divine Power could not."

"I know. Still, when I return later, I need to fill my report with as many attempts as possible. I need to be able to say I tried this and that."

[Huh? Do you know someone at the Empire's Mage Tower? Or are you going to barge in without a plan, like you did at the Holy City?]

"I do know someone, but..."

My voice trailed off. I remembered them, but I was not sure they would remember me.

"We only crossed paths while doing mercenary work. Even if we meet, they might not recognize me. If luck is on my side and they introduce me to another mage, great. If not, I'll just have to run around and do things the way I always have."

"Come to think of it, you said you worked all over the place as a mercenary before joining the Western Army, right?"

"I went to plenty of places. I was sent to the Great Mountain Range for a mining dispute between elves and dwarves. In the Empire, I got involved in territorial disputes and played at being a knight a few times."

[If you played at being a knight, did you ride a horse too?]

"You hit a sore spot. No horse would carry me, so I wasn't a proper knight."

[Right. You can't be a knight if you can't ride a horse!]

I played along with Orisin and quickened my pace. In my mind, I was drafting the outline of the self-exculpatory report I would submit when I returned to my unit.

‘A Divine Power expert confirmed whether Orisin could be purified. Next, I should consult a magic expert. If I get the chance, maybe a shaman or a Spirit mage too.’

I made a firm decision.

As soon as I had enough material for a report saying, ‘I did my best to purify it, but after three strikes, I could only apply temporary measures,’ I would travel around and enjoy myself.

* * *

After the elderly Martial monk took custody of Corpse-Eating Sword Gratuon from Morgina, the Saints split into two broad groups.

The first group consisted of people much like Morgina and Kriel. Their work where they had been staying was urgent, so they said they would part ways here instead of returning to the Holy City.

That group made up about two-thirds of them. Only three Saints remained to head for the Holy City.

"Who cares about a victory parade? They're all ridiculously incorruptible. What did Morgina say to you, old man?"

"What did she say? She told me to ask the Priest-King to increase funding for the Church of Eve Kaha since we caught it. Then she went straight after him."

"Seeing that cheeky girl like someone makes it feel like the end times. Hah."

On the surface, it was a peaceful conversation.

But the Saints did not let down their guard. They were transporting one of the Seven Demon Weapons.

Gratuon no longer appeared to be bound in chains. Saints other than Morgina had used every bit of their sealing arts.

The Saints who had not headed for the Holy City had also helped reinforce the seal before departing. As a result, Gratuon was bound beneath more than ten layers of different Divine Power seals.

Now, Gratuon's seal looked like a pure white coffin.

Perhaps because it had been shaped from Divine Power, the coffin carried the sacred air of a place where a Saint might lie. In truth, it was the form taken by the Saints' determination to bury this abomination forever.

It was a prison no Demonkin could escape without outside help, one that could trouble even a Demon.

Once they took Gratuon to the Holy City and buried it safely in some corner, this dreadful weapon would disappear from history for a while.

The Saints headed swiftly for the Holy City.

Naturally, none of them considered undoing the seal and looking inside.

Footnotes:

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