Kays Translations

Chapter 122: Light of Destruction

“You were strong.”

Lucius sighed deeply, still cloaked in Chiyou.

The method to survive and the method to win are not the same. What he just did was a way to survive. To go all out and win would leave him with no room for anything else.

But now, there was something more concerning than the result of the fight.

“Are there other reincarnators?”

The hunter’s eyes were filled with clear hatred. It was unmistakable that this hatred was directed at him, a reincarnator.

However, Lucius could confidently say he had done nothing to earn the hunter’s enmity. So, was it a coincidence that the hunter had met an evil reincarnator in the past?

Or was there something about reincarnators that Lucius was unaware of?

Lucius had never given much thought to reincarnation. He had only considered that reincarnation might be related to magic stones.

The reason was simple: he couldn’t return to the past. At least, he had found too many important things in this world to want to return to the previous one, no matter how much he theorized or experimented.

Moreover, this world had magic. Given that magic existed, it wasn’t strange to think reincarnation could happen, albeit vaguely.

That was before he spent time in the mental world.

Now, he was skeptical.

Magic was not a dream device that made anything possible, but a power source with rules and regularities. At the very least, he had never seen or heard of any technique that could intervene with something as unknown as the soul.

However, if there were other reincarnators in the past, it was not a coincidence but a system.

And if there was an event closest to reincarnation.

“… Gun monsters.”

A type of monster, gun monsters, would reappear in this world after a certain amount of time even if killed. When you think about it, they are the existence closest to the phenomenon of reincarnation.

And the hunter had merged with a gun monster.

Lucius placed his hand on his chest.

―― If magic stones turn people into monsters…

The unsettling thought that he might no longer be human crossed his mind. Gun monsters, which harm humans, are called monsters. Monsters must be hunted. Such an association naturally followed.

“What’s the meaning of this!? Why can’t I kill him!? Wasn’t that the trump card!?”

Dion’s frantic voice interrupted his thoughts.

Soon, the Empire’s magic ships would ravage the kingdom. Time was precious.

Lucius shook his head to refocus.

“…Now, I have to do what needs to be done.”

Lucius turned his gaze to the frozen Imperial Guard Knights.

“Did you see that technique just now!?”

“Yeah… I’ve never seen such a high-level battle before…”

“Both of them are monsters!”

The commander of the Imperial Guard Knights, Mark, also had a tense expression.

“Are you really Lucius?”

“Yes, I am.”

Lucius answered as if it were obvious.

“If the hunter failed, then it’s the knights’ turn. Kill him!”

At Dion’s command, the Imperial Guard Knights began to move simultaneously. They were confused but still seemed to be controlled at critical moments.

Through his many investigations in the mental world, Lucius knew that charm techniques were not meant to control large numbers of people. If the entire elite Imperial Guard Knights were under its influence, it must have been cast frequently from nearby using his status as a royal candidate.

Thus, the bindings on each individual should be weak.

Lucius generated a shield.

“I have to wake them up.”

Four years ago, he couldn’t do it. But now, it was easy.

The tension among the Imperial Guard Knights escalated.

“Fire!!”

At the command of Imperial Guard Knight Commander Mark, a barrage of gun monster attacks were launched.

Lucius, in his chiyou form, rushed forward.

While blocking the rain of gun monster attacks with his shield, he closed the distance. He leaped into the midst of the knights.

―― Shield Bash

He struck a nearby knight with his shield, sending him flying through the air.

Using the brute strength of chiyou for blunt force attacks. Even though he held back significantly, an ordinary person could die instantly.

However, the Imperial Guard would not die from this.

“Fight back with your swords!”

“You’ll hit your allies with the gun monster attacks.”

He didn’t leap in just to strike with his shield.

Gun monsters are suitable for long-range attacks. Many of the Imperial Guard Knights are from the west and primarily use gun monsters. Hence, he forced them into close combat.

Additionally, the knights’ voices echoed.

“My body… feels heavy…”

“He’s deploying a technique!”

Simultaneously, he spread the power of dark pressure technique over a wide area.

Lucius weaved through the sluggish sword attacks of the Imperial Guard Knights, continuing to deliver shield bashes.

With every swing of his shield, another knight was sent flying.

And when no knights were left around him.

Imperial Guard Knight Commander Mark shouted.

“Manifest! Agares!”

A top-tier Gun monster.

The ground cracked, and a jaw of rock approached.

“Evil Dragon.”

The Evil Dragon emerged from Lucius’ left hand and leaped onto the rocky crocodile.

Immediately after.

With a dull thud, the crocodile was crushed in an instant.

“What!?”

Even after Agares was completely shattered, the Evil Dragon’s body continued to sink into the ground. Its weight clearly exceeded its apparent mass.

Upon closer inspection, a faint black mist swirled around the Evil Dragon.

――The dark pressure technique’s ability. Even the Evil Dragon has learned it.

Before seeing Samael, it wouldn’t have tried to learn such superficial techniques.

But now, to bridge the gap of absolute power, it started absorbing all kinds of abilities.

Lucius locked eyes with the central head of the evil dragon.

In its gaze, he sensed a strong will to rise to the same level as Samael. A pure determination that implied everything else was trivial.

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

Seeing the evil dragon made Lucius realize something. Whether a reincarnated person is human or not doesn’t matter. He is who he is.

For Lucius, it was a means. For the evil dragon, it was an existential purpose.

Neither could afford to stop until they acquired the power they sought.

It was the first contract they made.

“Let’s go, together. To a height where no one can match us.”

Lucius started running.

His target was Mark, the commander of the Imperial Guard, who wore a shocked expression.

“A spell-formulated dragon using spell techniques!?”

With a running start, Lucius launched a shield charge.

Mark was sent flying and crashed into a wall. He slid down and slumped over, unconscious.

Lucius quickly turned and activated another technique.

“What’s this!? From behind!?”

“No, something’s emerging from the shadows.”

“Prepare to face it!”

From the shadows of the Imperial Guard Knights emerged the ancient Imperial Guards, the dragon knights.

Seizing the opportunity while the formation was disrupted by the loss of their leader, the dragon knights restrained the Imperial Guard Knights. They groaned as they were grabbed from behind and fell.

All the once-mighty Imperial Guard Knights fell silent.

Lucius turned his gaze to Dion, who stood at the back.

Dion took a step, then another, backwards.

“Strike me if you must. Assaulting a royal candidate is a capital offense.”

“…I won’t hit you.”

Lucius’ words brought a slight sense of calm to Dion.

“That’s right. It’s better this way. You’re finished anyway.”

As Lucius dispelled his manifestation of chiyou, he walked.

He stopped at the large hole Samael had created.

“Evil dragon, take the remaining dragon knights and sweep away the Empire’s army attacking the royal capital.”

The evil dragon, carrying the elite dragon knights including their commander and vice commander on its back, immediately flew out of the tower.

Soon, a thousand blood wyverns would be seen soaring over the royal capital.

Lucius then raised his right hand.

His gaze fixed on a distant point.

From the mountain ridge, a black cocoon-like object was about to take flight.

It was a magic ship.

“…What are you doing?”

“I’m going to shoot down the Empire’s magic ships.”

Dion’s face darkened instantly.

“Who told you about the Empire?”

“Do you think I would tell you?”

As they spoke, a giant magic circle appeared in the sky. Although, from the tower, it appeared below them.

From the magic circle, magic ships began to emerge one after another.

It was a large-scale teleportation technique he hadn’t seen two years ago. Moreover, the magic ships were not carrying live, suspended monsters of the highest rank.

He wasn’t surprised.

The Empire had been unearthing relics from the “Red Era” when humans were constantly at war, and repurposing them. He had witnessed their rapidly advancing technology countless times in the mental world.

And always, the War Emperor wielded this technology with unparalleled skill.

“It’s impossible. We’re over 20 kilometers away. No matter what gun techniques you have, it’s impossible to snipe from here.”

Lucius began channeling magic into his right hand.

Red light glowed around his right hand, forming into the shape of wings.

A single wing floated near his right hand.

“…Your highness Dion. Why did you betray the kingdom?”

“What are you talking about?”

“There are people living in the northern and eastern regions. Not bundles of property deeds for negotiations, but real living people. To abandon even the southern allies—is it that hard to trust others?”

Dion averted his eyes and remained silent.

Yet, Lucius continued.

“Why do you want to become king in the first place?”

“It is the duty of those born into the four great noble houses.”

“So, you don’t actually have anything you want to achieve as king.”

Another red wing formed around Lucius’ right hand, making a pair.

“…What’s so wrong about that?”

“To gain power so you can impose your will without criticism. It’s crude and straightforward. But do you really think you can wield the rights of a king without shouldering the responsibilities and burdens? You, who killed His Majesty?”

Many wish to sit on the throne, but a true wise ruler carries the throne on their back.

Few are willing to bear the responsibility of offering even their own lives for their country with joy.

While mediocre and tyrant rulers who exploit their power and stagnate the country are a dime a dozen, in times of turmoil, a wise ruler is needed. The black ships have arrived.

“…What could a lowly baron like you understand? You know nothing of the difficulties of statecraft plagued by conspiracies. In fact, haven’t you fallen into a trap yourself?”

“Indeed. That’s why you tried to monopolize the government with your faction alone. But do you know why His Majesty didn’t exclude you?”

“Because he was a fool. To keep political enemies around—”

“No. He knew well the limits of a single faction. A government without dissent turns into a corrupt regime where only those skilled at currying favor and plotting against others rise. Your highness Dion of the stagnant West is good at scheming against opponents but fails to introduce new policies or directions for growth.”

Another red wing of light formed around Lucius’ right hand.

A third wing.

Dion’s handsome face, inherited from his mother, twisted into an ugly scowl.

“You… you bastard…”

“Thus, those who sit on the throne must accept both the good and the bad. Not just their favorites, but even those they dislike, keeping them close and listening to them, evaluating them equally. To endure and persevere in such a constricted position alone is what it means to be a king. Just aiming for that deserves respect.”

Yet corruption still progresses.

That’s why the king must periodically be replaced.

The king, burdened by his failure, likely offered his life as the price.

“If you understand that much, then why don’t you aim to be king yourself?”

“No, thank you.”

A king’s capacity is the breadth of their self-recognition.

That means recognizing every aspect of the nation as part of oneself, not as possessions.

But Lucius lacks that talent. At the very least, he can no longer treat his family, village companions, and the nobles of the West equally. He can treat them poorly, but that would make him a mediocre king.

If Lucius has any aptitude, it is not for the royal way, but for the path of a conquering king like Hero King Zenon.

In other words, an emperor.

Using the country as a means for his own ends.

The royal way, where one dedicates their life to the country and leads with benevolence, is its opposite.

If he uses the country for himself, he must show a clear external enemy to convince those around him.

The result is a world of blood and conflict.

The actions of the Empire’s War Emperor are precisely what Lucius does not desire, and setting the country aflame would be a betrayal of the king.

“Lucius, you too! You don’t think for yourself or act on your own. Yet you depend entirely on the country like a fool. Such useless people must be cut away!”

Dion clenched his fist and shouted defiantly.

“The North sacrificed itself, giving its people and resources. The East struggled with sorrow and disease but lived on earnestly. Aren’t you the ones who did nothing?”

“Wrong! My mother and I have negotiated many times with the War Emperor! To ensure this country could survive!”

Another red wing of light formed around Lucius’ right hand.

A fourth wing, forming two pairs of wings.

Lucius’ eyes grew cold.

“It’s not the country, but ‘yourselves’ you were trying to protect, wasn’t it? How is betraying the country considered diplomacy? Moreover, you assassinated His Majesty.”

“That man was nothing… a man without any resolve!”

“Resolve… then let me ask you. Your highness Dion, did you personally kill His Majesty? Or did you have someone brainwashed to do it for you? At least her highness Lucial dirtied her own hands, prepared to take responsibility.”

Dion’s expression twisted. He seemed to realize he couldn’t win the argument any further.

“Stop… My mother is on that ship… as well as the nobles of the West…”

“In this time of crisis, boarding an enemy ship in secret is utterly foolish. Isn’t it a noble’s duty to cut off the unnecessary? So cut them off.”

“Stop this now! This is an order!”

Dion stood up, raising his right hand. He knew the difference in power was too great, so it was likely a threat to use magic.

Lucius did not stop gathering magic power.

Another red wing of light formed around his right hand.

A fifth wing.

“What’s this place…?”

Behind Dion, the Royal Guards began to rise one by one. They had only been lightly concussed by Lucius’ attack, so they were regaining consciousness within a few minutes.

Dion immediately commanded the Royal Guards.

“Stop Lucius now! Immediately!”

“Lucius? Your highness Dion… Your Majesty…”

Captain of the Royal Guard, Mark, seemed disoriented, unable to grasp the situation. The other guards were in a similar state.

—It looks like the charm spell has been lifted.

The memory of the time under the charm spell doesn’t vanish, so they should quickly understand the situation.

“This is an order! Stop Lucius immediately—”

Dion’s words were cut off by Lucius.

“In the name of the Thousand Dragon Lord, I declare the kingdom to be in a state of war with the Empire, and I invoke the right of belligerency. All knight orders are to come under my command.”

He announced to the confused Royal Guards.

“What are you talking about? There is no reason for the Royal Guard to follow the orders of a mere baron! Stop Lucius now!”

“And what authority do you claim, your highness Dion?”

“I am the heir to one of the Four Great Nobles of the West!”

“The diplomatic privileges and conscription rights that come with the title of Dragon Lord were granted to me by His Majesty. You, as just the heir to one of the Four Great Nobles, do not have the authority to stop me.”

One of the rights attached to diplomatic privileges is the right of belligerency. This allows for the definition of a state of war and the exercise of various measures during wartime.

Additionally, the right of conscription requires all nobles to provide military forces at the king’s call during wartime.

Nominally, the primary military force in the kingdom is the nobility itself.

Nobles are required to have retainers, as they are fundamentally responsible for the military forces. Knights serve primarily to support the nobles.

In this kingdom, the conscription right granted exclusively to the king gives him the authority to command all nobles and knights during emergencies.

Thus, in the absence of the king, the person with the highest authority during a state of war in this country is…

Lucius.

Indeed, it was the king’s prerogative.

Given Lucius’s achievements, it would have been easy to elevate his rank to a viscount. Perhaps even a Count was within reach.

But that did not happen.

Whether a count or a viscount, it was still lower than the Four Great Nobles. This was an immutable hierarchy in this country.

To surpass this, the king could only bestow royal authority, activated under specific conditions, along with a unique title. Similar to how a border marquis could wield authority equivalent to the Four Great Nobles under limited circumstances.

“Th-this can’t be…”

Dion fell silent. He knew about the authority granted to Lucius, but he had dismissed it, believing it could never be invoked. He had expected Lucius to be confined within the tower when a state of war was declared.

“His highness Dion is suspected of regicide and usurpation. Detain him.”

The Royal Guards exchanged glances. The first to move was Captain Mark.

“Understood, Dragon Lord.”

Mark swiftly restrained Dion, who wore a look of utter despair.

“…Please, stop! I beg you! At least spare that person!”

“Among the people you discarded, there were those who were ‘that person’ to someone. You’ve only cut away what you deemed unnecessary, without sacrificing anything precious to you.”

In this world, there are only two choices:

To never give up and push beyond limits, like Lucius.

Or to realize one’s limits and give up on something, like Lucial.

There is no convenient way to gain everything without doing anything, merely by undermining others.

Lucius himself once sought to protect everything without desiring much power, but he learned the impossibility of this in the world created by Samael.

Another red wing of light materialized on his right hand.

The sixth wing. Three pairs.

Though far from the twelve wings of Samael, the magic power concentrated in Lucius’s right hand was visibly condensed.

He could feel the red serpent dragon coiling around his right hand, infused with immense magic.

“Don’t speak of the country with such tepid resolve.”

And now, the light of destruction was unleashed.

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