Chapter 47
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「Hand over the 《Sword of Affirmation》… you say?」
Ashley questions the woman claiming to be the Saint – Mika’s statement.
「That’s right. A sword can only truly fulfill its intended role when wielded by someone who can handle it skillfully, don’t you think?」
For Ashley, Mika’s statement is something she absolutely cannot overlook.
「…If you’re truly the Saint, then you should know about the seal of Arcana as well.」
The seal of Arcana – that is the dreadful and terrifying something that generations of Holy Knights in the kingdom have guarded and continued to seal.
「Yes. I have a detailed understanding of the seal.」
Ashley feels indignant at the Saint who replies in a matter-of-fact manner as if it’s obvious.
「Then why?! This seal must never be broken! Since ancient times, it has been somehow maintained by the combined power of the three Holy Knights residing in Arcana and the 《Mythical Weapons》!」
Ashley feels uneasy about the inscrutability of the Saint.
But more than that, her feelings towards the generations of Holy Knights who have devoted themselves to the mission of protecting the seal are stronger. Therefore–
「Do you intend to render those efforts futile, unleash the darkness, and destroy the Arcana Kingdom?!」
Ashley, who is usually calm and collected, raises her voice unconsciously.
「Normally there would be no need for me to engage with you, but very well.」
Mika raises her index finger.
「If the problem is what happens after breaking that seal— then that is nothing more than your unfounded fear.」
「Unfounded fear?!」
「Yes,」 she nods and smirks.
「In the first place, what the seal is suppressing— it is said to be a dungeon that surpasses S-class—」
If she knows this, then the woman before her eyes must indeed be the real Saint, Ashley grumbles in her mind.
「—Moreover, it’s an ominous dungeon to the extent that the person who appraised it went insane and had their mind shattered.」
「That’s right! It’s a dungeon that could not be conquered even if the world’s strongest forces were deployed!」
Having grown up constantly hearing about how much damage the sealed dungeon inflicted on the Arcana Kingdom and how evil it was since childhood, Ashley could not believe the Saint’s actions were the work of a sane mind.
According to the stories passed down, the currently sealed dungeon appeared in a city that was considered Arcana’s secondary capital at the time.
That dungeon was not only impossible to conquer due to its wickedly high difficulty, but it also ceaselessly produced ghouls, zombies, and skeleton warriors.
They were sent out of the dungeon, into the villages, into the cities, and due to the dungeon’s malice, everything was filled with undead.
Even after it was sealed by the three 《Mythical Weapons》 and three Holy Knights according to the words of the Wise at the time, until the undead overflowing in the city were eradicated, many lives and the entire secondary capital and its surroundings were sacrificed.
The losses were so immense that it is said if the Wise had not demonstrated the sealing technique, the Arcana Kingdom itself may have disappeared from history.
As one of the highest authorities in the church, the Saint should know the evil nature of the sealed dungeon.
Then why would she commit the folly of breaking the seal?
「You mentioned that even deploying the strongest forces, the dungeon could not be conquered, but that was in the past. With the strongest forces of the current era, Hero Sir Ryūgūin, me—Saint Mika—and his hero party, conquering the sealed dungeon is possible.」
Ashley’s question was quickly resolved.
But she was left dumbfounded and speechless.
「With the 《Sword of Affirmation》, we can conquer the 《Time Dungeon》. In addition, we’ll conquer the sealed dungeon as well.」
Was this the kind of person the Saint was?
At least, the Saint she had heard rumors about was not someone who would do something this reckless.
The stories she always heard about her were of how she helped people.
She protected villages with barriers.
She treated a child suffering from a serious illness with Heal.
She used her own wealth to provide food for starving refugees.
And she risked her life to save the world by conquering dangerous dungeons.
The image of Saint Mika in Ashley’s mind and the Saint Mika currently before her eyes simply would not connect.
If it was the real Saint Mika, no matter how confident she was, it seemed she would not so easily say she could conquer the sealed dungeon.
She should have the prudence to at least consider what would happen if they failed.
「Now, quickly hand over that sword to me.」
This was Ashley’s intuition as a Holy Knight, no, as herself.
「I refuse!」
She cannot hand over the 《Sword of Affirmation》 to them.
「Refuse– Does that mean you are going against the orders of the nation and church?」
The orders of the nation and church– Whether that was true or not was irrelevant. The mission she must fulfill is not for the politics of the nation or church. Everything is for the sake of the people who live there and lead their lives.
「I don’t care! For the sake of all life, I won’t let you touch the 《Sword of Affirmation》 one bit!」
The Saint’s expression does not change at Ashley’s declaration,
「I understand.」
She mutters.
「I thought it would come to this. I don’t like using force, but this is for the sake of this world.」
「What are you–!」
「Eris, please don’t kill her.」
The girl called the sword saint leaps towards Ashley.
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