Kays Translations

Chapter 145: The Spear Unit

“Hey, Lucius! Sorry to keep you waiting!”  

Shortly after Lucius arrived at the entrance of Rita’s weapon shop, a group of people waved to him from outside the village of Musūmura.  

Among the group was Pallavis, a skilled spear wielder. Today, Lucius had arranged for Paravis and his companions to teach him how to hunt the demon beasts known as magic eater.  

Although Lucius had been hunting alone every day since arriving in the Sanctuary, his goal was to learn the fighting style of the Holy Warriors and the process for exchanging magic eaters for money.  

Lucius quickly approached the group.  

“Just got here myself. Did you run into Tylus?”  

Earlier at the weapon shop, Pallavis’s son, Tylus, had mentioned he was heading to the temple. It seemed likely the group coming from that direction would have met him.  

“Yeah, kind of.” 

Pallavis replied, scratching his nose awkwardly.  

—Ah, so Tylus must have been distant with him…  

Trying to change the subject, Pallavis turned to look at the forest.  

“Anyway, let’s head to the woods.”  

The group, having just returned to Musūmura from the temple, began retracing their steps. Among them was a familiar face.  

“Huh? Anushka, you’re coming too?”  

It was Anushka, Tylus’s biological mother. Unlike her usual appearance, she was dressed in light, practical clothing. However, unlike Pallavis and the other men—who bore battle scars—Anushka didn’t seem like someone who would join a fight.  

“Of course. I used to be a priestess.”  

“A former priestess?”  

“Yes. I left the priesthood when I got married, so I’m an ex-priestess now.”  

“Wow, I didn’t know priestesses could just quit like that.”  

“Only priestesses contracted with lower-level spirits can leave. Pallavis’s brother, Surya, promised to make me happy… but, well…”  

Anushka forced a modest smile, but a faint sadness lingered in her expression. Pallavis, not wanting to dwell on the subject, kept walking toward the forest without looking back.  

A slender man in the group spoke up to break the tension.  

“Pallavis and Anushka have been childhood friends, you know. Both brothers were crazy about her. Considering what happened to Surya, they should just remarry already.”  

“Ray… For crying out loud, stay out of it. Anushka should remarry whoever she feels is right. I’ll take care of Tylus.” 

Pallavis interjected firmly, though with some awkwardness.  

Anushka looked at Pallavis with a complex expression, but the slender man, Ray, lightened the mood by smiling as he turned to Lucius.  

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ray, the second seat of the Spear Unit. I hear you’re Pallavis’s cousin?”  

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Lucius. I used to live in the southern part of the Republic.” 

Lucius replied.  

He had been briefed in advance to claim a familial connection. Only a few individuals, including Pallavis, Anushka, and the priestess candidate Sai, knew Lucius was an infiltrator from the Kingdom. It was up to Pallavis to decide how much to reveal to Tylus.  

Before Ray could respond, a stout man barged into the conversation.  

“I’m the third seat, Ram.”  

“Nice to meet you, Ram. By the way, what’s the deal with the seating system?”  

Ray cut in, shoving Ram aside with a grin.  

“It’s a ranking system for those who wield magic weapons. In simple terms, the strongest is the leader, or house representatives, followed by the second strongest in the second seat, and so on. It originated from the days when the strongest warriors lined up to protect the High Priestess in order of their strength.”  

“So you and Ram must be really strong, huh?”  

At Lucius’s words, Ray dramatically spread his arms in mock humility.

“Not at all. Pallavis, the Spear Unit leader, is about three heads above the rest of us. We’re just here in name. I couldn’t win a single bout against the second seat of another unit, let alone their tenth. As kids, we all trained at various dojos, but the talented ones end up joining other units. Only eccentrics stick around in the Spear Unit.”

Lucius had thought Tylus attending the Sword Unit was just an act of rebellion, but it seemed Holy Warriors could choose their own weapons. The magic weapons given to them in childhood could later be changed.

“Eccentrics, huh… Then why did you two stay with the Spear Unit?”

Second seat Ray chuckled awkwardly, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“Well, it’s kind of like an unbreakable bond, I guess.”

Third seat Ram, who had been pushed aside earlier, jumped back into the conversation.

“Come on, Ray, no need to play coy. It’s because you wanted to support Pallavis, isn’t it? You knew he’d take on too much if left alone. You could’ve had a stable life with the Sword Unit, but instead, you said you’d carry on your father’s will and became the leader of the Spear Unit.”

Lucius recalled how Pallavis had taken him in, despite the risks. No doubt he also handled various troubles in Musūmura.

“Pallavis was in the Sword Unit?”

“Yeah. And he’s got serious sword skills. He even managed to win a bout against the Sword Saint Ark!”

“That was when I was ten. And Ark was only seven at the time, exhausted from three previous matches.” 

Pallavis said bitterly, breaking his silence.

But Ray and Ram didn’t stop their chatter.

“Still, that’s the Ark we’re talking about! A rare genius.”

“He was beating adults just two years after picking up a sword—a complete monster.”

The age gap between a ten-year-old and a seven-year-old is usually significant. Even so, defeating one of the Four Sword Saints, Ark, was enough to mark Pallavis as an exceptional talent.

—So this is what they call natural-born talent. Amazing.

Though Lucius himself was a reincarnator with a unique advantage, he didn’t consider himself a genius.

It also made sense that Pallavis could hold his own against Ark in their youth. Lucius still vividly remembered how Pallavis deduced his swordsmanship style and even guessed his master after just a brief sparring session. Such expertise was only possible with deep familiarity with the art of the sword.

“Then Pallavis, why not carry a magic sword as well? Swords and spears have different ranges, so being able to use both would be an advantage.” 

Lucius suggested casually.

Ray and Ram’s eyes widened in surprise.

—Huh? Did I say something weird?

Sensing potential trouble, Pallavis quickly responded.

“That’s impossible. A person can only wield one magic weapon.”

“Only one? But a weapon is just a weapon, isn’t it?”

“Holy Warriors integrate the magic weapon’s technique into their bodies through a process called ‘Synchronization.’ If you attempt to Synchronize with multiple magic weapons, your synchronization rate will drop significantly. And even if you return to using just one, it’s said that the reduced synchronization won’t recover.”

Lucius remembered the “Synchronization” technique that Holy Warriors used. By integrating the techniques of their magic weapons into their bodies, they could achieve feats like enhanced strength or rapid healing that would normally be impossible for a human.

Looking back, everyone in Musūmura and the Holy City had only ever wielded one type of magic weapon.

“So that’s why they only carry one.”

“Exactly. Plus, if you train with multiple weapons, your strength gets spread too thin. It’s already proven that mastering one weapon is far more effective than being mediocre with several.”

Lucius placed his hand on the twin swords at his waist.

—And yet, Chiyou is after six of them.

Since Lucius couldn’t Synchronize yet, he didn’t understand what it meant for synchronization to decline. Still, it didn’t seem like Chiyou was collecting magic weapons just for the sake of it. Furthermore, Chiyou was already proficient with the magic sword, spear, and shield currently in his possession.

“Speaking of which, about yesterday’s conversation on ‘Synchronization’ in combat techniques—”

Just as Lucius was about to continue his question, Chiyou reacted.

Magic Eater.

“They’re coming.”

Lucius said seriously.

At his warning, Pallavis and the others immediately readied their magic spears. Only Anushka retreated to the rear, positioning herself behind a glowing magic circle.

Emerging from the forest thicket was a grotesque creature with purple skin, horns, and a skeletal visage.

“A magic eater with a magic shield.”

The magic shield it wielded was so large it covered its entire body and was thick enough to exude an air of unyielding sturdiness.

“Ugh, shields are the most annoying.” 

Grumbled Third Seat Ram.

“Didn’t you say staffs were the worst just yesterday?”

“Shut up. It’s shields for sure.”

“Focus, you two. Lucius, stay in the rear and observe.”

Pallavis instructed.

Before Pallavis finished speaking, the shield-bearing magic eater charged forward.

A Shield Charge.

Normally, shields are defensive tools with limited offensive power. But that only applies to human strength. When wielded by a being with unnatural, monstrous strength, it transforms into a blunt weapon capable of mowing down massive trees like they’re nothing.

On top of that, it still retained its primary function of defense.

Pallavis and the others dodged the massive iron mass barreling straight toward them.

The magic eater slammed into a nearby boulder, shattering it as if struck by a wrecking ball.

—Why are they dodging?

If it were Lucius, he’d cut through the shield and all.

Pallavis, at least, should be able to pierce through the shield.

Lucius dismissed the question as soon as it arose.

It wasn’t that they wouldn’t destroy it—they couldn’t.

Destroying an inverted magic weapon would result in becoming a magic eater themselves.

—That’s an insanely high level of difficulty.

In battle, weapons inevitably sustain damage. The higher the skill level of the combatants, the more intense the clashes between their weapons.

Without a significant skill gap, it’s nearly impossible to avoid direct contact between weapons entirely. Only someone like the War Emperor, the hero of the Empire, could accomplish such a feat against Lucius when he was still a child.

“I’ll stop it. Flank it from both sides. Anushka, prepare the technique.”

“Understood.”

From the magic circle behind Anushka, a spirit resembling a goddess radiated magic energy.

“Prithvi, use the wood technique.”

Vines and plants began to grow around Anushka as she channeled the magic circle.

But it lasted only a moment. The vines withered all at once, and the energy used to grow them gathered in one place.

—The magic spears are absorbing the technique.

The magic energy from the dispersed technique seemed to flow into Pallavis’s magic spear, as well as those of Ray and Ram.

Soon, plants started sprouting along Pallavis’s spear, wrapping it entirely in greenery. It looked as though the weapon was encased in foliage.

This must have been the combat technique called Seal, which he’d learned about recently.

The magic eater, shield at the ready, charged again with its unrelenting aggression.

Its target: Pallavis.

But Pallavis didn’t move.

Standing firm, he poured magic power into his spear. The vines entangled around it suddenly shot out and coiled around the magic eater.

—The vines are constricting the magic eater.

The monster froze in place.

Like a tug-of-war, Pallavis poured his strength into his spear, immobilizing the creature. He was likely using Synchronization to enhance his physical abilities.

“Now! Do it!”

Ray and Ram flanked the immobilized creature.

Then, with two magic spears, they impaled the magic eater.

—Is it done?

“GRUOOOAAAAHH!”

The magic eater let out a final, guttural roar that echoed through the forest.

“Whoa!”

The magic eater grabbed the spear that had pierced its body and reached out toward Third Seat Ram, clearly intending to take him down with it.  

To assist, Lucius immediately grasped the hilt of his magic sword. However, the twin blades remained sheathed, refusing to emerge.  

At that moment, Pallavis stood directly in front of the magic eater, its shield lowered, and raised his spear high. There wasn’t the slightest trace of panic on his face.  

“It’s over.”  

As he raised his spear, its blade began to transform.  

The spearhead, previously suited for thrusting, morphed into a single-edged, curved blade.  

It resembled a sword—specifically, a form specialized for slashing.  

—A glaive.  

The spear, initially optimized for thrusting, had changed into a glaive-like weapon.  

Without even needing to build momentum, Paravis calmly swung his weapon.  

A single stroke.  

After a brief pause, the head of the magic eater slid off its neck.  

Its body, now split in two, disintegrated into dust and debris, leaving only the magic shield, which fell to the ground with a dull thud.  

Pallavis smiled as he picked up the ownerless magic shield.  

“Magic eaters in the Outer Forest are weak. That was an easy win.”  

Anushka and the other two spearmen let out relieved breaths, though they showed no signs of tension.  

In battle, being too tense or too relaxed can be fatal. Striking a perfect balance was a hallmark of experience.  

“…Was that technique just now, Seal?”  

“Yes, it was. It’s a technique where a priestess’s magic formula is infused into a magic weapon.”

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