WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B
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◈ Whispers of a Scheming Demon ◈
Chapter 97: Talent
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“...I’m sorry, Lady Shaperia. I cannot accept your sword.”
Shaperia, who had been holding out the sword with both hands, returned it to its sheath.
She straightened up and spoke.
“To be honest, I know I am unqualified.”
Though her oath had been rejected, Shaperia did not seem upset at all.
She was calm, as though she had expected it.
She knew well that she was unworthy of serving Johan.
To begin with, Shaperia was not a knight.
She could not wield Aura, nor had she been born a noble.
She possessed none of a knight’s qualifications.
To become a knight of a noble house, especially a prestigious house belonging to the Council, required appropriate credentials.
At the very least, one had to prove their martial ability.
Of course, Johan could have ignored every such convention and knighted Shaperia.
As the head of a Council-affiliated house, he possessed the authority to bestow knighthood.
However, Shaperia did not want a shortcut.
She wished to prove herself worthy.
Johan spoke.
“You are more than qualified, Lady Shaperia. Do not belittle yourself.”
Shaperia shook her head.
“At present, I do not possess the strength to protect you, Baron. I would struggle to serve even as a squire, let alone a knight. That is why I intend to open my Dantian.”
She meant that she intended to train in Aura.
Johan was slightly taken aback.
The moment Shaperia opened her Dantian, she would no longer be able to wield Holy Power.
Even Consecration would become impossible.
She would no longer be able to serve the Great Saint.
I will choose you over the Great Saint.
That was what Johan heard.
It was quite shocking.
“...Lady Shaperia, are you planning to abandon your faith?”
Shaperia answered at once.
“No. To serve you, Baron, is itself devotion to the Great Saint.”
Johan found that baffling.
“How are those two things connected?”
“As you know, the Great Saint reclaimed my Sacred Power. No matter how much I considered it, I could not find the reason. But while accompanying you this time, Baron, I came to understand the Great Saint’s profound intention.”
The Great Saint’s profound intention. Johan was quite curious what that could possibly be.
“What exactly do you believe it means?”
Shaperia spoke with a calm expression.
“I believe it was a revelation telling me to serve you, Baron.”
Johan felt a powerful urge to slap his forehead.
‘...Religious fanatics.’
Shaperia connected every coincidence and event to the will of a god.
‘This is ridiculous.’
The only reason she had lost her Sacred Power was Johan.
In the past, Johan had found Shaperia’s Appraising Eye bothersome, so he had stripped her of her power to eliminate it.
It had nothing to do with the Great Saint.
Johan spoke.
“I do not understand how the loss of Sacred Power leads to a revelation.”
Shaperia explained calmly.
“From immediately after I lost my Sacred Power, you and I have continued to cross paths in ways both great and small, Baron, beginning with the matter of the knight Rail, then the Southwestern Quarantine Zone, and now the incident involving His Highness Gawain. Our fates have continued to intertwine.”
Rail’s corpse had been discovered unexpectedly at the site where the Apostle Beris appeared, and Shaperia had been dispatched to House Myatro as a spy.
There had been nothing unusual, and the investigation was closed.
She thought her connection with Johan had ended there.
It had not.
Afterward, the itinerant slash-and-burn farmers she happened to encounter had turned out to be Johan’s benefactors.
Shaperia had escorted them to the territory.
When she arrived, Johan was in need of her help.
Their connection had continued like this.
Johan frowned.
“It looks like simple coincidence to me.”
Shaperia shook her head.
“I am certain it is not. Why else would the Great Saint have shown me a miracle?”
“...A miracle?”
“I mean you, Baron, surviving even after using the Brilliant Covenant Sigil. That alone is a miracle.”
It had merely been an illusion shown through Belzarak.
‘Did I overdo it?’
The illusion had given Shaperia far too grand an image of Johan.
Johan swallowed a groan.
“Well, that is true, but...”
“I became certain then. You are the Messenger of the Great Saint, Baron, and I have a duty to assist you.”
Over the past few hours, Shaperia had personally witnessed Johan’s spirit of sacrifice, faith, and unbreakable sense of duty.
She could not help respecting him.
With all those coincidences added on top, it now felt like a divine revelation.
Johan wanted to let out a hollow laugh.
He could not bring himself to do it.
Shaperia’s misunderstanding was entirely Johan’s fault.
He spoke with the calmest expression he could manage.
“Your guess has some merit, I suppose.”
He decided to simply go along with it.
Any rebuttal would be useless anyway.
Johan was not foolish enough to debate a religious fanatic about God.
He simply wanted this conversation to end quickly.
Shaperia’s expression brightened slightly.
“I knew you would understand, Baron.”
“Yes, well.”
“From today onward, I will cultivate Aura. So that I may serve you someday, Baron.”
Shaperia looked ready to open her Dantian immediately.
She would likely be able to wield Aura in no time.
Before long, she would achieve heights beyond imagination.
That was how it had been according to Inmarok’s setting.
Shaperia was unmatched when it came to martial arts.
Johan looked at her and briefly fell into thought.
Shaperia wielding Aura. Objectively speaking, she would be an exceptional fighting force.
She could someday reach the realm of a Sword Saint.
From Johan’s perspective, he would have a Sword Saint under his command.
There was truly no reason to refuse.
‘...A good thing is a good thing, I suppose.’
It was clearly a blessing that had fallen into his lap.
‘Then why does this feel so unsettling?’
It was difficult to know why.
After thinking for a long while, Johan spoke.
“Very well. Let us discuss this again after you have opened your Dantian.”
Shaperia smiled brightly.
“I will certainly live up to your expectations, Baron.”
Johan found her gaze somewhat burdensome, but he did not show it.
“Then shall we return to the main matter?”
Shaperia’s gaze turned toward Gawain.
“I have kept His Highness waiting. What can I do to help?”
To stop Gawain’s corruption, Johan needed Shaperia.
He had intended to connect her soul to the Dread Spear Turabak.
Instead of Gawain, Shaperia would become a demon.
She would become Gawain’s sacrifice.
Now, the situation had changed somewhat.
Shaperia bore Johan considerable goodwill.
There might be a greater benefit in keeping her human rather than turning her into a demon.
Johan considered it briefly before speaking.
“I will need your help in Narak, Lady Shaperia. There is nothing that can be done here immediately. Could you return to the castle at this time tomorrow? We can discuss the details then.”
Johan needed about a day to think.
Whether to keep Shaperia human or corrupt her. Once he chose either path, the future would change considerably.
It was not something he could decide in haste.
Shaperia spoke.
“Very well. I will see you again tomorrow.”
The two immediately left the Forbidden Archive.
* * *
Johan sat in his office chair and tapped the armrest.
He had thought about it for quite a long time, but he could not decide what to do with Shaperia.
If he kept her human, Gawain remained a problem.
He could not think of another way to stop Gawain’s corruption.
‘...Should I find another favored child besides Shaperia?’
The Great Saint’s favored children shared part of their souls with one another.
If he used one of them, he could transfer ownership of the Dread Spear Turabak.
‘What a bother. Far too much trouble.’
He already had much to do. He had no time to search for a favored child as well.
Johan let out a long sigh.
At that moment, a familiar voice spoke.
“What were you discussing for so long?”
Ilea entered the office.
A faint smile rested on her face.
Johan spoke.
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Shaperia. You were in the Forbidden Archive with that woman for quite some time.”
For some reason, her tone was slightly cold.
Johan answered without expression.
“She said she wants to serve me. As her lord.”
Ilea clapped her hands.
“Oh my, that is wonderful. She will obediently follow your orders, so things in Narak should become easier.”
“I think so as well. However, I am feeling a little greedy.”
The smile faded slightly from Ilea’s face.
“What sort of greed?”
“I want to make use of Shaperia in another way. With her talent, she will be a great help going forward.”
“Shaperia is only an ordinary human. You made her that way, Johan.”
“She says she intends to train in Aura.”
“...For you?”
“Well, something like that? Honestly, I don’t know either. Let’s just say it’s because of her faith.”
Ilea fell silent for a moment.
After a while, she spoke.
“I am against it.”
“Why?”
“She was the Great Saint Church’s spy.”
“She is not anymore.”
“I know, but I do not like it.”
Johan frowned.
“...That is not a very helpful opinion.”
“I was only telling you how I feel. Objectively speaking, there is no reason to refuse when she says she will even learn Aura.”
Johan nodded.
“I feel similarly.”
“Apart from that, there’s something I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
“Shaperia’s quite pretty, isn’t she?”
Johan’s expression crumpled slightly.
“Is that important in this situation?”
“It is quite important to me.”
Johan clicked his tongue.
“Leave now. We do not have time to exchange jokes.”
When he waved his hand dismissively, Ilea turned sharply around.
As she left the office, she spoke.
“Either way, I am against it.”
Johan sighed and fell into thought again.
He had to make a decision today if possible.
* * *
Night came, and the sun rose again.
Throughout that long span of time, Johan did not leave his office even once.
He still had not made a decision.
Even now, with Shaperia standing before him, he was still deliberating.
Shaperia spoke with a worried expression.
“Baron, are you all right? The circles under your eyes have become dark.”
Johan forced a smile.
“I did not sleep very well.”
“Would you like me to return tomorrow if you are tired?”
Johan was about to nod, but stopped himself.
Dragging this out further would not bring him an answer anyway.
He firmly made up his mind.
“No. Let us go down to the Forbidden Archive first.”
Shaperia smiled brightly.
“Before that, there is something I would like to show you.”
A subtle confidence filled her expression.
“What is it?”
Shaperia suddenly drew her sword.
“See for yourself.”
At the same time, a loud vibration rang out.
It was the sound of something starting.
‘Surely...’
His thoughts abruptly stopped.
A transparent ripple spread from the tip of Shaperia’s sword and covered the office.
Johan’s skin tingled painfully.
He sprang to his feet.
“Aura!”
Shaperia smiled and nodded.
“I opened my Dantian yesterday evening.”
She had achieved Aura in a single day? It was impossible to believe.
Johan froze stiffly.
Beside him, Hakain dropped his pipe.
He looked at Johan with an astonished expression.
“...Just where did you pick up such a thing?”
Johan had not picked her up.
A treasure had rolled into his lap of its own accord.
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