SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 48

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 48: How to Confront the World (2)

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The Guardian Spirit.

The man known as the Sword Emperor seemed like what would come tumbling out if someone mixed a psychopath and an overbearing old fart fifty-fifty, then shook them together. Thanks to that golden ratio, ninety-nine percent of what the Sword Emperor said to me was either insane or useless.

-When wielding a sword, what really matters is not just your skill.

In other words, that 1% contains the essence of both psychopath and know-it-all.

-Faith! Confidence! Faith in yourself is what's most important.

The Sword Emperor's face was stern.

-Bullshitting is the same!

A profound statement filled with life's experiences!

-To deceive others, you must first deceive yourself! Believe in your own bullshit. Have confidence! The most plausible lies won't be believed if said without confidence. But even the most outlandish lies can be convincing if delivered with confidence.

‘Really?’

-I've done it enough to know!

Perhaps the ratio of psychopath to know-it-all was actually 6:4.

-Of course, if it's completely 100% false, neither the other party nor you will believe it. So mix truth into your lies! Blend 10% truth with 90% lies!

‘Mix them?’

-Yes. The charm of a lie lies in that. If you believe 10% of the truth, the remaining 90% of the lies will naturally flow out!

Indeed.

-Remember this, Zombie. Lying is all about confidence!

"Hmm."

I looked ahead.

Armies from across the continent, gathered to capture Witch Ester... Among them, the vanguard of the Aegim Empire's army, their soldiers, and their general, all looking at me.

I had to deceive them to avoid danger on my side.

“The Emissary of the Founding Emperor...”

“But that sword is definitely...”

"Why is the Emissary here?"

Murmurs.

Some of the soldiers looked at me suspiciously. The Aegim Empire's soldiers were dutifully bowing their heads, but that was it. The soldiers from other affiliations were clearly doubtful. Perhaps the influence of the holy sword only extends to the empire's own troops.

“B-but, Emissary of the Founding Emperor...?”

The leader of the Aegim Empire's army cautiously observed my expression.

“May this ignorant descendant ask one question?”

“What is it?”

“As I said, we came today to subdue the witch. But how did the Emissary of the Founding Emperor come to be here?”

I closed my eyes for a moment,

‘Lying is all about confidence.’

and then, opening them wide, shouted.

“Soldiers! I have already subdued the witch!”

My voice, filled with aura, echoed through the acacia forest path.

General Sarbast Aegim flinched.

“Yes… yes? You've already subdued her? What do you mean by that…”

“Look this way!”

I stepped aside, revealing the figure of Preta, who was hiding behind me. Some recognized her appearance as Ester and shouted.

“That’s Ester!”

“The witch from the west!”

“I've seen her before! That woman is definitely her!”

“Burn the witch!”

Preta flinched, making a startled noise.

But I was undeterred and commanded.

“Preta.”

“Yes...?”

“Come forward and kneel before them.”

"......."

A firm command.

Preta, now reduced to one of my ghouls, had no power to defy my order. She staggered forward and knelt.

But that wasn’t the end.

“Bow your head.”

Preta bowed her head.

“Place your hands on the ground.”

"......."

Preta placed her trembling hands on the ground. Was it anger? Humiliation? Her cheeks were deeply hollowed from clenching her teeth, perhaps even biting her tongue. A moment later, blood ran from her lips and down her jaw.

“Place your forehead on the ground.”

“Uh… ”

Preta complied with my command.

The soldiers watched in stunned silence as the former Demon King pressed her forehead to the ground. Her breathing mixed with more rage and humiliation. Yet, to protect her small paradise, she obeyed my commands.

A scene of noble surrender.

Then, I authoritatively commanded.

“Now, perform a forward roll while in that position.”

Silence.

A moment of stillness hung over the acacia path.

"......What?"

Preta turned her head to look up at me.

A look of disbelief, as if she had misheard.

I frowned.

“Didn’t you hear?”

“Um, um…?”

“Perform a forward roll immediately!”

Startled, Preta obeyed the command hesitantly. In other words, she placed her hands on the ground and did a forward roll.

Roll!

Her small body rolled across the ground, her long hair scattering acacia petals. After completing the roll, Preta still looked bewildered.

“Hmm.”

I nodded.

“Now do a handstand.”

"......."

Preta looked at me again.

A look of doubt about the sanity of her new master.

Naturally, I didn’t flinch.

“Hurry up and do the handstand!”

"Gasp."

Trembling, Preta planted both hands on the ground and slowly tried to rise into a handstand. “Ow!” Lacking the strength, she toppled over with a thud. “Oww...” With a tearful face, Preta flailed as if swimming on bare ground.

Regardless, I continued my stern orders.

“Perform twenty jumping jacks!”

“Ten squats. Begin!”

“After that, immediately ten push-ups!”

“Now twenty sit-ups!”

“Maintain a plank position for 20 seconds!”

A while later.

“I can’t anymore, my lord... My body won’t move…”

The former Demon King lay sprawled, utterly drained.

Tears glistened in her eyes.

"Hmm."

I turned to Sarbast Aegim.

“Do you understand now?”

Sarbast Aegim stood with his mouth agape. Not just the general, but his soldiers wore similar expressions. They watched Preta, crying like a helpless child, in stunned silence.

“Emissary, what is the meaning of this…?”

“As I said.”

I intensified my gaze.

“The witch has already been subdued by me. She can no longer defy my commands!”

Naturally, I added.

“She can no longer harm the people of the continent. Soldiers. You can rest assured about the witch!”

The soldiers were restless.

As the lower ranks wavered, their leaders were equally perplexed.

“Hmm. If the Emissary says so…”

“Wait a minute!”

While Sarbast Aegim seemed willing to believe me under the authority of the holy sword, other commanders, especially the Paladin Commander, were clearly skeptical.

“What’s all this about!? We came to vanquish the witch.”

“No. Did the Emissary of the Founding Emperor not say that the witch had already been subdued...?”

“How can we believe that!”

“On the contrary, how can you refuse to believe it? You saw the witch carry out every one of those... whatever they were that the Emissary of the Founding Emperor commanded, did you not!?”

Sarbast Aegim angrily retorted. The power of the holy sword was indeed formidable.

The Paladin Commander, nearly jumping out of his skin, shouted.

“That is precisely what I am asking! How can we believe it? No, no, before any of that! The only evidence that this young man is the emissary of the Great Eastern Founding Emperor is that single sword! All this over one sword...”

“That one sword?”

Sarbast Aegim raised his voice.

“A mere sword? My goodness. Are you questioning the authority of the Great Emperor who founded our empire! That holy sword is the very proof of our goddess' favor. How dare you!”

The Paladin Commander flinched.

“No, General. Calm yourself... What I meant to say was only...”

“The Founding Emperor took that sword in hand and set out into the wilderness! He raced across the plains, left his footprints in every city, climbed the volcano, rode down the waterfall, crossed the forest, and pierced through the mountain range! At last, when he reached the sea, he founded the Empire to stand watch over the sun! All your ancestors accompanied the Founding Emperor, so every one of you owes him a debt! Yet you call it ‘that one sword’!”

“No, that is not what I meant...”

“What could you possibly mean!”

“Po, Pope gave me a strict command. The Pope ordered me to subdue the wicked witch… but now because of such words,”

The imperial general roared.

“‘Such words,’ you say! It seems you place the Pope’s mere command above the Emissary of the Founding Emperor!”

Wow.

“What, what…”

The Paladin struggled for words.

It took precisely two seconds for astonishment to evolve into fury.

“How dare you question the authority of the Temple!?”

“You were the first to doubt the authority of the Holy Sword!”

“Oh, fine! Very well! It seems the 3rd Prince's faction of the Empire doesn’t need the Pope's endorsement!”

“Hah, that mere endorsement? The Emissary of the Founding Emperor has already appeared and subdued the witch. The goddess’s favor watches over the Empire and its royal house, so what does that endorsement matter!”

“That is indeed the will of the 3rd Prince's faction!”

The Empire's general and the Temple's paladin were fiercely arguing.

I smiled inwardly.

‘Perfect.’

There's something to be mindful of when various groups come together.

Once conflict is exposed, even just once, it rapidly spirals toward collapse.

‘No need to look far.’

When we Hunters ascended to the 12th floor, there were precisely eight factions.

Me, the Sword Saint, the leaders of the five great guilds, and then the smaller factions from 8th to 10th in contribution.

Although united under the external goal of ‘conquering the tower,’ we were never a cohesive unit.

There was distrust and underlying tensions.

And so, the appearance of a single variable, the [Demon King’s Reward], was enough to make us collapse pathetically.

"Warriors, the ones who chose to climb the tower."

I recalled the Goddess's hologram's words when the 11th floor opened.

"You will face a test from the 11th to the 20th floor. A test of faith."

I smirked to myself.

That so-called test of faith.

‘Not just the Hunters, but the tower's residents should experience it too, right?’

It would only be fair.

As the Empire and the Temple began their real [Test of Faith], the other factions started joining in one by one.

“Sigh, everyone... now is not the time.”

The elf ranger captain from the Fairy Forest sighed.

“Shouldn’t we verify more thoroughly whether that young man truly controls the witch? Even if you humans are foolish, please choose the right time and place.”

It was impossible to tell whether the elf ranger captain was trying to mediate or fan the flames.

Naturally, the elf ranger captain was no help at all.

“To add one thing, it seems the Temple is caught in its own contradictions, isn't it? The Holy Sword of the Aegim Emperor, revered by the Temple, was bestowed by the Goddess of Protection. Doubting the Sword's authority is tantamount to doubting the Goddess's. This is why short-lived humans are so foolish…"

“What!? So, the elves have been looking down on us!?”

“This is why you big-eared bastards cannot be trusted!”

If anything, it only caused more disruption.

“Why are the Empire and the Temple behaving like this! We came here to honor our noble oath!”

The dragon cavalry leader from the volcano erupted in anger.

“Settle it in a duel like warriors! What’s the use of carrying weapons otherwise!”

They were simple-minded.

Among us Hunters, they were like Viper, the master of the Celestial Martial Clan.

“The Free Cities Federation agrees with both the Empire's Sword and the Temple's Hammer. There must be someone even more correct. We're open to suggestions.”

“Typical. That’s why these farming weaklings... So, when do we get to plunder that village? You said we could plunder it, right? We came all this way and..."

“Everyone, everyone... the witch's den is right before us…”

The Armed Merchant Company was openly saying, [Make us an offer], while the nomads’ female chieftain grumbled as she calmed the horses.

The lords of the smaller nations, closest to Preta’s paradise and therefore most desperate to conquer it, were the only ones fretting.

A situation on the brink of chaos.

-Keheh!

Meanwhile, the Sword Emperor and I were more relaxed than ever.

The Sword Emperor crossed his arms and shook his head.

-Now I understand why Preta caused fights among the Hunters. There’s a certain pleasure in inciting discord!

‘I agree.’

It was honestly fun.

But of course, not everyone in their ranks was just a troll.

“Sigh, everyone. Please, step aside!”

Naturally, there was also someone equivalent to our ‘Deputy Commander of the Vigilante Corps’: a mediator stepping forward to bring the situation’s rush toward chaos and destruction under control.

The lizardman wizard from the Mermaid Falls stepped forward.

“To me, the issue at hand is simple. That,”

The lizardman pointed at me.

“Whether this young man is truly the Emissary of the Emperor. Whether that woman is truly the witch. Whether the Emissary truly subdued the witch and took her under his control. Just confirming these will resolve everything.”

The paladin, tired of arguing with the general, frowned.

“So how do you propose to confirm this?”

“Don’t worry. I have a way.”

The lizardman reached into her pouch.

In her grasp was a blue orb, seemingly condensed from the depths of the sea.

“This is the Soul Orb bestowed by the wise ruler of the merfolk.”

The lizardman was very serious, as if she was about to reveal a precious treasure, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us.

“By dropping a blood droplet on it, we can determine if the blood's owner has a [Good Soul] or an [Evil Soul]. If it’s a good soul, the orb will emit a bright white light; if evil, it will turn black.”

Hmm.

‘So, it's similar to the Vigilante Corps Leader’s [Lie Detection] or the Sword Saint’s [Eyes of a Detective]?’

-Yeah. Seems like the Demifolk do well in making these gizmos.

The Guardian Spirit and I remained at ease. The orb bestowed by the merfolk’s wise ruler sounded impressive, but it was nothing new to us.

Oblivious to our thoughts, the lizardman was confident.

“Come! If you truly are the Emissary of the Emperor and that woman the witch, accept this test of the orb!”

The lizardman raised the orb.

“The evil deeds you have committed and the good deeds you have accumulated will all be proven by the orb!”

“Very well.”

I nodded readily.

“Go ahead and test.”

“Don’t regret it. As I said, the orb will expose your soul for what it is.”

“Your forked tongue is remarkably long. Are you getting cold feet?”

The lizardman's snake-like eyes narrowed.

“Let's hope your confidence is not mere bravado. First, let's verify the soul of that woman.”

She approached us confidently, grabbed Preta's wrist, and sharply scratched her palm with her nail.

Blood oozed from the palm.

"Gasp."

Preta’s shoulders twitched. Dark red drops of blood fell, drip, drip, and soaked into the wise ruler’s orb.

Whoosh!

The orb instantly turned a deep black.

“Gasp!”

“Good heavens.”

The commanders watching the soul test were horrified. The color that stained the orb wasn't ordinary black. It was like a bottomless abyss, a shadowy blackness that writhed like a serpent.

“Such an evil soul...!”

Even the lizardman conducting the test swallowed hard.

“How many sins and killings must she have committed... Such a being should not exist. A truly cursed entity... undoubtedly a witch!”

Thud.

The wizard quickly released Preta’s wrist as if avoiding filthy water. Her serpentine eyes held tremendous contempt for Preta and just as much fear.

“No. She's more than a witch. She's undoubtedly a Demon King!”

Preta shrank further.

The mood shifted. Was it because the lizardman announced Preta's identity? The soldiers' murmurs ceased. The commanders stopped arguing and glared at Preta. As they did, Preta withdrew further, timidly stepping behind me.

“Now, it's your turn.”

The crowd's attention naturally shifted to me.

The lizardman raised her sharp nail.

“Self-proclaimed Emissary of the Emperor. Are you ready?”

“I am always ready.”

“No amount of pretense will help you now... Come, give me your hand.”

I willingly extended my left hand. Nick! The lizardman's nail passed, and the flesh parted like gills.

Red blood flowed from the split flesh. My blood droplet fell quietly into the darkened orb, stained by Preta's blood.

And then.

“Ah…?"

There was light.

“What, what…?”

The dark aura in the orb vanished as if washed away. Not just that. A brilliant white light accumulated and intensified, eventually exploding outward.

Flash!

The Acacia forest path was instantly illuminated in white. Small screams erupted here and there. Soldiers startled, closed their eyes, and commanders covered their faces with their palms.

The lizardman wizard holding the orb was no exception.

"How, how..."

She fluttered her lips, stunned.

“What is this soul…?”

“This is unbelievable!”

The Paladin Commander shouted.

“Droplet sent by the wise ruler! Why is such light pouring from the orb!?”

“The soul is…"

The wizard, not even looking back at the Paladin, muttered.

“How could a soul be so... Just how many lives must he have saved for it to be this white? This... this is truly...”

“Ah,” the lizardman wizard said.

“This man... is the Light!”