Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 140: The Rebirth of the Radiant Sword
The crowd slowly parted, making way for Lucius, who stepped forward alongside Pallavis, as instructed.
When they reached the presence of the high priests, Pallavis knelt first and began to speak.
“I am Pallavis, leader of the Spear Bearers. My younger brother Lucius’s enchanted sword has fulfilled its purpose. I humbly request a new sacred weapon to be bestowed upon him.”
The onlookers murmured in astonishment.
“Look at that, the leader of the Spear Bearers himself.”
“Yeah… from that godforsaken village, Musu. I didn’t know he had a brother.”
“So, the magic spear’s era is over, huh? His brother’s wielding an enchanted sword now. Isn’t his son involved with a sword too?”
The high priests raised their hands to quiet the crowd.
“Silence.”
Though the gathering grew quiet, one person loudly objected.
“Who is this guy? I’m part of the Sword Bearers, and I’ve never seen him before. And what’s with that sword? Enchanted weapons imbued with powers outside of the sacred spirits haven’t been crafted in a century!”
The man was Nasaar, a seasoned Sword Bearer who had given a cursed blade to his nephew.
“…He’s my youngest brother. He’s been using an old enchanted sword that was collecting dust in a warehouse, but it’s finally worn out.”
“And yet he’s never appeared before the Varna Temple to claim a weapon? Your son Tyrus has been here. I knew your other brother, Surya, but I never heard of a younger one.”
“He’s frail by nature. He couldn’t endure the Sword Bearer training. He’s been helping merchants in the village, which is probably why you never heard of him.”
Despite the explanation, Nasaar, the Sword Bearers’ third-ranking member, remained skeptical.
“…Is that so? I’m not inclined to trust the words of a Spear Bearer who defies convention.”
“Nasaar, whether you believe it or not is irrelevant to you.”
Pallavis snapped, his words sharp and commanding.
The intensity of Pallavis’s statement forced Nasaar to step back a few paces.
“Tch. Fine. But keep him tucked away in the village. You wouldn’t want him to end up like that failure, Surya.”
A surge of magic energy laced with anger emanated from Pallavis’s body.
“…What was that?”
— Such intimidation.
The crowd was thrown into a stir.
Some of the holy warriors instinctively drew their swords. Pallavis had not even touched his magic spear, still strapped to his back, yet his killing intent was palpable.
Pallavis’s strength was undeniable. Against him in earnest, ordinary warriors or magicians would stand no chance.
The hall grew heavy with tension.
“Cease this at once,”
A commanding voice suddenly echoed.
All noise abruptly stopped. One by one, everyone present dropped to their knees, including the high priests and Pallavis.
“Lucius, you too,”
Pallavis urged, pulling him down into a bow.
Before them stood a pair of figures: a man and a woman.
The man was a towering figure around forty, carrying a massive shield. The woman bore a bow on her back.
The man was the one who had spoken.
“This is Quodenents of the Four Holy Shields. Thank you for honoring us with your presence at the Varna Temple.”
One of the high priests exclaimed from beside the great cauldron.
— So that’s one of the Four Saints.
The sheer pressure from their presence was suffocating like a mountain suddenly appearing nearby.
“What is the meaning of this? Quarreling at a sacred ceremony for acquiring enchanted weapons is utterly unacceptable.”
“My deepest apologies,”
Pallavis quickly responded.
“Oh my, isn’t this wonderful? You look lively. My Indra God likes such lively energy.”
Ad
The one who placed her elbow on the shoulder of the Shield Saint, Quadenents, was a woman of youthful age. She carried a large bow on her back.
“Ah, the Bow Saint Sarian, may I greet you in good spirits as well.”
— Pain.
A dull ache surged behind my eyes.
Unusually, Chiyou was excited.
It was responding to the massive shield and bow the two carried.
Their presence rivaled even that of the magic spear ‘Bone Shadow.’
There was no doubt they were supreme magic weapons.
Just a little.
Just brushing against their essence would allow for imitation.
— Not now. Chiyou, hold yourself back.
I forcibly suppressed the manifestation of Chiyou.
If Chiyou were to appear here.
If it were to imitate the magic weapons of these two Saints.
The chaos it would cause was unimaginable. At worst, we might end up antagonizing all the Holy Warriors in the Sacred City.
Ad
“Hey, are you alright, Lucius?”
Pallavis whispered worriedly to Lucius, who was enduring the pain.
“Ugh… I’m fine.”
As soon as Lucius answered, those prostrated on the ground lowered their heads even further.
It seemed as if their foreheads would scrape against the floor.
Through the curtain of hanging bangs, Lucius glimpsed the figures of two women walking behind the two Saints, leading a procession of Holy Warriors.
“Great Priestess of the Flame God Agni, Great Priestess of the Thunder God Indra, welcome to this sacred event.”
The two priestesses were still young.
One seemed to be in her mid-twenties, the other in her late teens.
The younger priestess raised her voice in irritation at the Shield Saint, Quadenents.
“Quadenents, you, the shield meant to protect me, are standing around chatting without attending to me. Your duty is to protect me and, by extension, the Flame God Agni.”
The Shield Saint Quadenents lowered his head submissively to the younger Flame God’s Great Priestess.
“Indeed, Great Priestess Karina of the Flame God Agni. You are absolutely correct.”
“Hmph, as long as you understand.”
“Karina-sama, let us not dwell on this. Setting an example for the Holy Warriors is also a duty of the Saints.”
Ad
Beside the Flame God’s Priestess Karina, a girl in her late teens smiled warmly.
From behind, the Bow Saint Sarian hugged the younger girl, playfully intertwining her fingers with hers.
“Oh my, my beloved Naviya, Great Priestess of the Thunder God Indra. I wish you could show a little jealousy like Great Priestess Karina here.”
“Hehe, Sarian-sama, neither the wind nor thunder can be bound.”
Unbothered by those bowing in reverence, they continued their conversation.
Lucius had seen such figures before in the royal capital.
The Four Noble Houses.
In other words, it was clear that these individuals held high ranks within the Republic.
Lucius’s attention turned further toward the two priestesses.
— The Great Priestess of the Quadra God… what an overwhelming magic presence…
Perhaps, no, certainly, their magic capacity exceeded Lucius’s.
Even though they had only one magic core.
Though Lucius had not yet activated the ‘Shrinking Magic Refinement,’ no human in the kingdom had more magic capacity than him.
And now, there were two such individuals present simultaneously. The shock was undeniable.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, the younger priestess scanned the area.
After glancing around for a while, she stopped her gaze on Lucius, who had his head lowered.
“Naviya, what is it?”
The Bow Saint Sarian looked curiously at Naviya.
“My Indra senses an extraordinary presence. Ravana? No… what? This… Could it surpass even the Quadra Gods?”
— Could she be sensing Samael’s presence?!
Samael had cloaked its presence with masterful magic manipulation.
I never imagined someone could detect it.
Avoiding her gaze, Lucius lowered his head further to conceal his face.
“Nothing surpasses the Quadra Gods. It must be the presence of the Phantom Water God Varna. That is why we’re here today.”
“But my Indra is exceptionally skilled in Wind Divination, you know?”
“Yes, yes.”
“I’m serious, Lady Karina!”
The words of the Thunder God’s Great Priestess were brushed off casually by the Flame God’s Priestess Karina.
“You’re interrupting. Continue with the ceremony of granting the magic sword.”
The Flame God’s Great Priestess Karina ordered the reverent clergy to proceed.
“Yes, ma’am!”
The priests lifted their heads once more, turning their attention back to Lucius and the others.
“Let us resume. Now that the High Priestesses have arrived, there is no time left before the ‘Act of Restoration’.”
The High Priest raised a hand to reestablish order.
“Now then, Lucius, younger brother of Pallavis. Can you swear to wield your power for the peace of this world, as an oath to Varna, Master of the Magic Sword?”
It seemed the High Priest wanted to avoid further delays to the ritual. Lucius felt the same; he couldn’t predict how long he could restrain Chiyou, and remaining near someone perceptive enough to sense Samael was hardly wise.
“…Yes, I swear.”
“Then, offer your blood.”
“Yes.”
Lucius stood and approached the large cauldron. At that moment, a girl’s voice rang out.
“Ah… ahhhh! This overwhelming presence—is it you!?”
Pointing at Lucius was Naviya, the High Priestess of the Sky Thunder God, Indra, who had earlier sensed Samael’s presence.
The first to react were the Bow Saint and the Shield Saint, their hands quietly reaching for their enchanted armaments.
“Huh? What’s going on?”
Ad
“Greater than the Quadra Gods?”
“Him?”
All eyes turned to Lucius—Pallavis’s, the other priests’, and even the High Priestesses’.
Only Priena trembled slightly, her shoulders shaking. Though her expression was hidden by a mask, she might have been sweating nervously.
—What should I do?
Lucius hesitated, uncertain how to act in this situation. Still, he instinctively scoped out an escape route with Pallavis and Priena, ideally passing near the Bow Saint and Shield Saint’s magic weapons.
“Naviya, again with this?”
The High Priestess of the Flame God, Agni, Karina, sighed in exasperation.
Unfazed, Naviya of the Sky Thunder God continued with fervor.
“Just watch, Lady Karina. I’ll uncover his magic energy now!”
The entire room’s attention remained fixated on Lucius, their curiosity evident.
Lucius decided to bide his time and carefully observe the situation.
—For now, let’s just proceed with the ritual.
He sliced his palm with the Sacred Light Sword, letting his blood drip into the cauldron.
Then…
The smoke that rose turned blue.
“…Huh?”
Naviya, the High Priestess of Indra, stared in stunned silence.
“Pfft!”
Karina, the High Priestess of Agni, couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.
Moments later, laughter erupted across the chamber, loud enough to shake the walls.
“Blue? I’ve never seen it that low before!”
“So, the rumors about his frailty were true.”
“That’s just… absurd.”
Confused, Lucius glanced at Pallavis, who looked mildly disappointed.
“Ahem… the first grade. Do your best within your capabilities.”
The High Priest, having regained composure, spoke perfunctorily, clearly with no expectations.
—First grade? That’s equivalent to a sixth-tier magic energy level?
The cauldron’s measurement likely assessed current surplus magic energy rather than latent potential.
With Samael and the cursed dragon Chiyou draining almost all of his energy, having just sixth-tier reserves made sense.
The child earlier was Grade 4, with a red color; Lucius now is Grade 6, with a blue color.
He had seen this color correlation before.
—Ah, I see. The same as the color of a slime’s pseudo-core.
The pseudo-core of a slime changes color based on the amount of magic it contains, ranging from the lowest blue to the highest black-silver or white-silver. Both are associated with dwarves, so it’s possible that their color correspondence is similar.
“Strange. I was certain I felt something…”
“There’s no way anything could surpass the Quadra God. Let’s proceed.”
The two High Priestesses and two of the Four Saints lost interest and headed deeper into the temple. The rest of the Four Saints followed them, accompanied by the Holy Knights.
—Good. They’re gone.
Lucius felt a wave of relief but was interrupted by a mocking voice.
“This is priceless! No wonder your brother Surya didn’t mention it—he’d be too ashamed to admit it in public!”
The scorn came from Nasar. It wasn’t just directed at Lucius but also laced with derision for his brother, who had become a Pallavis and an Ogre-Eater.
Pallavis shot another sharp glance, as before, but this time the Head Priest quickly intervened.
“Silence. Now, hand over the sword.”
The Head Priest extended a hand toward the large cauldron. He meant for Lucius to place the sword inside.
Given the term “rebirth,” this might be the last time Lucius could touch this sword.
“Yes.”
Lucius gazed at the gleaming holy sword he held. After a brief hesitation, he slowly lowered it into the cauldron.
Inside, the sword struck the metal twice, three times, then settled at the bottom.
In the next moment, the sword began to melt away completely.
Like iron submerged in acid, it hissed and frothed.
The magic sword, his long-time companion, disintegrated before his eyes. Lucius etched the sight into his memory, his chest tightening.
But there was no time to dwell on sentimentality. The ritual continued.
“Very well. Now, does the magic to be offered to the magic sword hold hope?”
Earlier, Yakshini had provided spiritual magic for the ritual. Should he follow tradition or try something else?
“…Does it matter which monster’s power is offered?”
The Head Priest frowned at Lucius’s question.
“The magic sword’s imbued technique traditionally comes from a blessing of the gods, as you surely know.”
From Priena’s accounts, however, magic weapons could also draw their techniques from monsters. The technique in the holy sword, for example, came from a griffon.
—A light-based technique would be best.
Yakshini likely didn’t possess light magic. Nor did Lucius have anything imbued with monster-based power.
However, someone with light-based magic was right at hand.
“…I’ve already prepared it.”
Lucius extended his right hand and placed it into the cauldron.
Those who had mocked Lucius for his meager magic reserves moments earlier now looked on with keen interest. Offering anything other than Yakshini’s magic was a rare occurrence.
Drawing power from the presence within his right hand—a being imbued with a destructive light technique—Lucius channeled it into the cauldron.
At that moment, his left hand throbbed.
The call came from the Evil Dragon.
—Evil Dragon, you want to be used too?
Perhaps it was spurred by rivalry with Samael.
The Dark Dragon’s techniques were based on darkness, fire, and water. Including the Blood Dragon Wyverns, it could use toxins and other techniques, though they weren’t its primary ones.
On reflection, it didn’t seem like a bad idea.
The oppressive black magic was highly versatile and frequently used by Lucius.
Dragon flames would complement the light technique.
The sudden downpour-like magic was more aligned with healing but had potential applications.
—Let’s give it a try.
Lucius withdrew his right hand and instead plunged his left into the cauldron, channeling the Evil Dragon’s power.
“This should suffice.”
“…Very well.”
Next, sand iron and earth were mixed, kneaded, and shaped into a sword.
What emerged was a blade crafted from clay, proportioned to suit Lucius’s build—a larger, single-handed sword compared to the one for the child earlier.
Lucius carefully held the fragile clay sword.
“Channel your magic into it.”
“Yes.”
Lucius commanded Samael and the others to minimize magic consumption, taking a brief moment to gather energy from the fake-cores and four magic cores.
He then poured the accumulated magic into the clay sword in one burst.
The sudden influx of energy stripped away the encasing clay.
Amidst the crumbling remains, two swords emerged.
“These are… twin blades?”