WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈
Chapter 113: Holy War (2)
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4.
The Heretic Inquisitor.
A bearer of an alias. A so-called first-generation Hunter who has been active since the early days of the tower's establishment. A psychopathic blonde who decisively hunted down extremists in various countries, in regions without established nations, and in areas where nations had collapsed, stabilizing the tower amidst the influx of countless people.
“I interpret constellations as deities of other worlds!”
The specialist in great religious wars, who now managed every religion on Earth under the Pantheon, smiled broadly.
“A deity, simply put, is a law! For instance, in our world, Earth, there’s the law of physics! This law of physics is like a basic Windows operating system installed everywhere, so it's nothing special! That’s why there’s nothing particularly special about our world!”
Huh.
“But we have nuclear weapons and guns, right?”
“As I said, the law of physics is a basic foundation installed everywhere! Thus, those two could potentially emerge in any world if technology develops sufficiently!”
However, the Heretic Inquisitor noted, in worlds where magic and miracles are commonplace, purely physics-based technological development might be challenging. Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean that nuclear weapons and guns couldn't be invented in other worlds.
‘Indeed, there were apocalypses that perished in nuclear wars. Our 23rd floor, the Chronicles of the Space Iron Knight, was also SF….’
So, is Earth among the weakest of worlds?
It made sense that magic and skills weren’t commonplace before the tower emerged, but it still felt odd to hear that our home planet, Earth, was weak. Is this a sense of patriotism? Or should I call it love for one’s star?
“But as you mentioned, guns and nuclear weapons are indeed powerful weapons! Unleashing them could defeat most of the apostles of constellations!”
“Indeed.”
Raviel tapped her lips with the tip of her fan.
“So, as physical laws are fundamentally the base, physical force is also fundamentally applicable.”
“A precise understanding! Physical entities that don’t exist or can’t exert physical force are naturally powerless. And if they possess a physical form, physical attacks are logically effective! The efficiency issue remains, whether they fully absorb the physical force or mitigate it!”
The floating Sword Emperor let out a small exclamation.
-Heh, that guy’s smart.
‘Does it sound right to you, Sword Emperor?’
-Yeah. That’s why the Constellation Killer could crack Shiny’s skull with Aura, why I could hold my own anywhere after training only with a sword, and why that girl who runs the Black Dragon Guild could roast Preta with a beam. Physical force is an incredibly powerful law.
[Shiny nods with a gloomy expression.]
-Depending on how much one adheres to or deviates from this law of physics, the rank of the respective constellation is determined.
That sounded intriguing, but the Heretic Inquisitor elaborated just in time.
“This ‘mitigating physical force’ part I just mentioned is surprisingly important! It means following physical laws, yet not being completely bound by them! And how that's possible is---”
“---the constellations each have their own laws, and their apostles oppose physical laws with these unique laws of their own.”
“Wow! As expected, the wisdom of the King of Death’s husband is immaculate!’’
“Of course.”
My husband charmingly uttered those loving words. Just that made me confident that Raviel was illuminating this little tactical meeting.
-Gong-Ja, focus? This is the moment that decides whether this world survives or not.
[Shiny leaps up and smacks the back of the Hero’s neck.]
Whoa.
Such pitiful fellows who don’t understand love.
-Ah, stop the nonsense, zombie.
[Shiny looks at the warrior with eyes like a rotten fish.]
‘But Shiny, you don’t have eyes.’
[Shiny indicates the gemstone on its sheath.]
Following her cue, I looked at Shiny's sheath decoration, where the color of the gemstone had faintly changed.
Hmm.
‘Got it, I’ll be careful.’
-Focus.
‘Yes.’
1. Each constellation has its own laws.
2. Apostles also follow those laws.
“What kind of laws do they have?”
“Hmm! For example, there's a constellation called Baravit.”
The Heretic Inquisitor added, known as the ‘God of Love.’
“This constellation interprets [everything in the world as romance]. In a world governed by Baravit, power and wealth are meaningless! One’s strength is determined by how strong their romantic power is.”
“Romantic power? What is that?”
“Hmm! Seeing is believing.”
The Heretic Inquisitor formed hand seals.
“Holy Technique, God of Affection.”
Paat!
Light spread from the Heretic Inquisitor’s hands. It was not merely white, but tinged with red, almost pink. A mist smelling like strong perfume began to billow.
“Ah, now I've temporarily invoked the domain of Baravit here! Please, take any action, King of Death!”
"Um..."
I looked around awkwardly. It was late at night. The three of us, the Heretic Inquisitor, Raviel, and I, were in the duke's residence, planning a strategy for the upcoming invasion in ten days.
"...Except for the pink mist, nothing much seems different?"
“Excuse me for a moment!”
That's when the Heretic Inquisitor tripped me. As I stumbled, saying "Uh?" and started to fall, I accidentally grabbed Raviel’s arm, saying "Uh."
“Uh-oh?” We both fell to the floor.
“Oho.”
Raviel stared down at me. It looked as though she had pounced on top of me. It had all happened in an instant.
“Gong-Ja. Such affectionate behavior in front of others is inappropriate.”
“Uh. Uh…”
I was flustered.
“No, no! Not that, Raviel! I was just about to fall…”
“Ahaha.”
The Heretic Inquisitor chuckled.
“A typical scene from a romance!”
“Heretic Inquisitor, this is…?”
“In God Baravit’s domain, every action leads to romance! Even when you fall, you do not simply fall; you pull someone nearby into it. For example, if the King of Death were wearing a dress shirt and drinking water, there would be a 95% chance that he would spill it and expose the skin beneath his shirt! It would be inevitable for the people around him to feel their hearts flutter!”
Good heavens. What is that? Cosmic horror?
“Domains reinterpret the world and brainwash people. The Great Library we were just in does the same! The Head Librarian interprets the world as a [collection of stories], and there, we are [characters in a story].”
Paat.
The Heretic Inquisitor formed seals again, and the pink mist blanketing the floor disappeared. I blushed and got off Raviel.
The Heretic Inquisitor beamed and said.
“Defeating those who possess their own laws with laws we can use. I define this as a Holy War and a Star War!”
A Holy War and a Star War.
“Then, how should we act in the Holy War happening in ten days?”
“That depends on which constellations we are facing! As you can infer from what I've said, the method of dealing varies based on the laws of the respective constellations!”
“Certainly. Knowing the enemy before the war is of utmost importance.”
At Raviel’s words, spoken with the tip of her fan between her lips, the Heretic Inquisitor nodded.
“Yes! So, who exactly are the apostles of the constellations invading in ten days?”
Hmm.
“If I tell you their constellations, will you recognize them?”
“If I know their true names, I can do it with absolute certainty! I can examine them through my skill, [Compendium of All Gods]!”
I recalled what I knew about the young man before me... No, since he was currently possessing Goldencup’s body, the woman before me... In any case, I recalled what I knew about this person.
‘It was around the time we were fighting Preta on the 13th floor.’
Back when I was busily throwing around my “All right, I’m a prophet” routine, the Black Dragon Master had said that the Heretic Inquisitor knew otherworldly religions inside and out, even if it was thanks to a skill.
Alright.
“Can you infer their true names from their epithets?”
“If they are famous enough, yes!”
Then, it's clear.
“[Ruin-Harvesting Cow], [Warhorse of the Eternal Plains], [The Immortal Missionary of Happiness]."
"Hmm."
The Heretic Inquisitor pondered.
“[Ruin-Harvesting Cow] is Mutia. Her principal domains are [Destruction] and [Re-creation]. Simple, but powerful.”
Destruction and re-creation.
“How does she fight?”
“Let's see. She can exercise physical force very powerfully, at will! Either flattening a wide area or disassembling the physical structure of a specific entity, or, oh, creating golems through disassembly and reassembly. It's rare, but some exercise their power over time as well! Time itself is physical, after all!”
So Goldencup’s ‘heroine of the second timeline’ trait had drawn on Mutia’s power after all.
An apostle of an outer constellation was already in this world.
‘Did the Holed-Up Head Librarian choose this world as an apocalypse because of that?’
In the style of the Holed-Up Head Librarian, did they ‘intervene’ because it wasn’t their story but one already tampered with by an outer constellation? Or was it simply
Speaking in the style of the Holed-Up Head Librarian, was it because this wasn't their story but one already tampered with by an outer constellation, allowing them to 'intervene'? Or was it simply because, as Raviel said, there were no constellations in this world?
‘It seems more likely the former, considering the Head Librarian's tendencies.’
While pondering this, the Heretic Inquisitor continued.
“[Warhorse of the Eternal Plains] is the epithet for Mahos. Mainly overseeing the realms of [Duel] and [War]. Although straightforward, these powers are formidable!”
Duel and war.
“So, it becomes impossible to refuse a duel challenge?”
“Yes! Or it could widely spread a battle frenzy that fears no death, or gain wisdom in tactics and strategy! Ah, inversely, ‘banning war itself’ to forcibly create a peace zone is also possible! This is quite rare, though!”
“A warlord overseeing peace… sounds a bit odd.”
Hearing my mutter, Raviel smiled slightly.
“What's so odd about it? Peace is merely a state where [war has ceased]. Therefore, those who can enforce war can naturally enforce peace as well.”
“Indeed, a precise understanding!”
The Heretic Inquisitor beamed brightly.
“[The Immortal Missionary of Happiness], I don't know their true name. Seems they are not famous enough yet!”
An unknown entity.
‘Not being famous could mean they are weaker, which might be an advantage for us?’
Lost in thought, Shiny trembled.
[Shiny requests to ask about 'Goddess of Protection' as well.]
‘Shiny... you should focus on the meeting…’
[Shiny insists it’s a crucial matter!]
‘Why are you like this…’
[Shiny declares it’s solely to verify the accuracy of the Heretic Inquisitor’s knowledge of constellations, with no personal interest!]
Hmm.
“This might be a bit off-topic, but do you know anything about the [Goddess of Protection]?”
“Oh ho.”
The Heretic Inquisitor grinned.
“[Goddess of Protection] is Hwiya’s epithet! Her principal domains are [Protection] and [Immortality]. She is quite a powerful deity, but according to my skill, [Compendium of All Gods], she has currently lost her power because of some unspecified incident.”
[Shiny sparkles, indicating that the Heretic Inquisitor can be trusted!]
“Gong-Ja, why is your sword doing that? It's dazzling.”
“Give me a moment. I’ll wrap it up...”
[Shiny cries out, asking to be left alone.]
Anyway, with the former constellation Shiny confirming (to me) the accuracy of the Heretic Inquisitor’s information, Raviel tapped her chin with her fan.
“Troublesome… Different types of enemies, one of each kind. Three in total, huh.”
“It becomes even more complicated because it also varies by apostle which powers of the deity they can borrow and how much of them they can wield!”
“Yet, we can grasp the general tendencies. Thank you for sharing the information.”
“Ahaha, saving this world is also a benefit to our tower! Naturally, it’s efficient to help!”
“Is that so.”
“Yes! And with my other skill, [Holy Technique], I can borrow the power of almost any deity whose true name I know! If we add your strengths to that, we will surely find a way!”
Our strengths.
Raviel and I looked at each other and simultaneously opened our lips.
“It’s love.”
“Love indeed.”
There might be many who are better at fighting or smarter than us, but there is one thing we are certain of, our depth of love is unmatched.
“……Huh?”
The Heretic Inquisitor tilted her head.
“It’s strange. Seeing you two being sweet together makes my heart feel tender and tingly. It’s a sensation I’ve never felt before. What could it be?”
“A myocardial infarction.”
“The immersion rate is increasing! How should I interpret this?”
“No… First, be cautious about that immersion rate thing.”
It would be a catastrophe if Goldencup consumes the Heretic Inquisitor before the Holy War.
Knowing what I had already explained, Raviel also understood. She said,
“The ‘love’ we just mentioned has another meaning beyond the typical one.”
“What might that be?”
“Sorry, but we can't share that. It’s sort of a secret weapon.”
“Hmm, it's difficult to incorporate it into the strategy…”
“No worries. Let’s discuss basic tactics and strategy instead. As a ruler of this world, I can deploy substantial security forces to the wedding venue. For instance, I could borrow the Special Forces from His Majesty the Emperor…”
“Oh ho. How powerful are these Special Forces…”
Thus, Raviel and the Heretic Inquisitor continued their discussion.
‘It’s possible.’
These two had once been rivals in love. Granted, someone else was now inside one of them, but seeing them amicably resolve to fight together filled me with an inexplicable optimism.
‘This will definitely work!’
Just as I was affirming my conviction, the Guardian Spirit threw cold water on it.
-Gong-Ja, snap out of it. Three apostles invading isn’t a trivial matter.
‘How serious is it?’
-Think of it as about 1.5 Pretas from the 12th floor attacking.
What a bizarre unit of measurement.
‘Preta was a constellation, wasn’t she? The ones invading now are apostles. Wouldn’t apostles be weaker than constellations?’
-Lowest rank constellation. Maybe about a D-rank in your tower’s terms?
‘Preta from the 12th floor?’
-That’s right, Preta from the 12th floor.
As the Guardian Spirit idly picked at his ear, he said,
-Well, I’m not worried because it’s you. Or should I say, 'you two'.
The Guardian Spirit glanced at Raviel, obviously guessing the 'secret weapon' Raviel mentioned.
I felt the same. Thus, I didn’t think we couldn't overcome this invasion.
However.
-But you want to clear this with zero casualties, right?
‘Yes, that’s right.’
-Then you really need to think hard. Leave the tactical part to that smarty-pants and your husband, and you focus on improving your personal combat skills.
Having said that, the Guardian Spirit crossed his arms, looking down at me.
-Hmm. Your rank was D, wasn't it? You don’t plan to stay at that rank forever, do you?
Of course not.
5.
And ten days flew by like an arrow.
“The wedding day is finally here!”
In the empire, weddings are held in the evening.
Weddings symbolize the union of the sun and the moon. The evening sky, where the two celestial bodies blend, is considered perfect for weddings. The more vivid and red the sunset, the better the day for a wedding, and today was one of those days.
“You look so handsome today, the Duke’s Wife!”
I was surrounded by servants, experiencing an unusual feeling.
Five servants, like beetles sticking close, coordinated my outfit. They incessantly praised, “How can someone be so handsome!”
"The duke is so lucky!”
It almost muddled my mind.
“Thank you for all the help, but could you please tone down the fuss a bit…?”
“No, not at all!”
The servants resolutely responded.
“At least for today, you must be the most handsome groom in the country! Even if modesty and humility are virtues, you should not hold back today! Today is literally the day where beauty alone is the virtue!”
Ah, I’ve felt this before….
It was just like when the Black Dragon Master and the leaders of the major guilds made a commotion about shooting my photo spread...
Of course, there were differences from that time.
“Congratulations on your wedding, Duke’s Wife.”
A distinguished gentleman with a well-groomed beard entered the dressing room and greeted me. I was puzzled, not recognizing who he was. Seeing my expression, the gentleman gave a bitter smile.
“I am your foster father. I make my living by holding a minor position at the imperial court. I have heard a great deal about you from the new Duke of Ivansia.”
“Ah…”
Good heavens. The man I wondered about turned out to be my foster father, whom I had never met before!
“I-I’m meeting you for the first time. Um, that is…”
“Please feel free to call me father. Don’t worry. I understand that you don’t regard me as a father in your heart. I assure you, I will never exploit your influence to disrupt the Duke's house.”
The gentleman bowed very respectfully.
“After this wedding, I plan to retire. Your husband has shown me great consideration. Haha. There’s no need to worry about my retirement anymore.”
"......."
A sigh escaped me. How much effort had Raviel put into this day?
For the first time in my life, I uttered this word.
“……Father.”
“Yes, the moon of Ivanisia.”
“I’m not well-versed in social circles or politics. I’m curious, what do the citizens of the empire say about this wedding?”
“In a word, it’s a series of shocks.”
The gentleman spoke gracefully.
“A wedding of House Ivansia is comparable to a marriage of the imperial family. Preparing an event of that magnitude in the scant space of a month would ordinarily be exceedingly difficult. Then there is the broken engagement with the Crown Prince and the succession to the house. Either matter...”
At that moment, the gentleman paused. The noise outside the dressing room had grown louder. The guests were buzzing.
“...would have been impossible if the Silver Lily Duke had failed to persuade His Majesty the Emperor.”
The gentleman stroked his beard, smiling faintly.
"Duke’s Wife. Your husband is truly capable. The mere fact that she pledges loyalty to His Majesty is an unparalleled blessing for the empire. Although the bond of father and son formed today is just for a day… If I may say something.”
At that moment, the old gentleman narrowed his eyes.
Simultaneously, an intense aura, almost comparable to that of a Sword Saint, emanated from the old man's body.
"Considering that your husband has also requested my 'other position' and the security arrangements at the wedding venue, it seems today's marriage won't go smoothly."
The Chief Steward of the Imperial Household.
The Captain of the Imperial Special Forces said this just as the commotion outside the dressing room turned into screams.
-Gong-Ja, get ready.
I looked out the window.
-They have arrived.
As the Guardian Spirit had said.
[The Apostle of 'Ruin-Harvesting Cow' manifests.]
[The Apostle of 'Warhorse of the Eternal Plains' manifests.]
[The Apostle of 'The Immortal Missionary of Happiness' manifests.]
The sky, where two celestial bodies mingled, turned red.
As the sunset crumbled away, the awaited enemies revealed themselves.
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