I Picked up the Demon King - Chapter 97

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 97

 

Which group on the continent has the best preserved knowledge about souls?

 

Mages?

 

No. While mages focus on reproducing and researching various phenomena through mana, they had little interest in things like souls that don’t greatly affect reality.

 

To begin with, there’s no significant connection between the talent for handling mana and the talent for seeing souls, so most can’t even begin research even if they wanted to.

 

Then Dark Mages?

 

That’s also wrong. Dark Mages have strong individualistic tendencies, so they don’t band together or try to interact with each other. While individuals wield powerful forces, that’s all there is to it.

 

To them, souls hold no value beyond being sacrifices to strengthen the power of magic.

 

The answer is the Religious Order.

 

Some might think all they do is receive wealth from nobles and heal diseases, but presiding over all kinds of rituals and exorcising evil spirits was also clearly their role.

 

Moreover, they held the belief that after death, one would live eternally in the Goddess’s embrace. They had no choice but to put considerable effort into studying souls.

 

That was the reason they focused on a sentence in a thesis written by a mage from the Magic Tower, a sentence that even the author himself hadn’t considered very promising. If souls could be manipulated to develop talent, if the Goddess’s Sword could be created by human hands, there was no reason not to try.

 

There were many experiments.

 

Experiments to develop special drugs that could affect souls, experiments to observe changes through magical stimulation, and experiments to summon the souls of ancient outstanding heroes to the mortal world.

 

And there were also experiments to artificially synthesize different souls.

 

It wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Souls seemed to follow different laws than other substances.

 

But this was the Religious Order that had even succeeded in developing Soul Vials, containers for storing souls. With countless orphanages and churches across the continent providing endless test subjects, they could achieve some results even if not perfect.

 

‘I am…’

 

The girl, Amelia, was also one of them.

 

The priests rejoiced at this result beyond common sense – multiple souls coexisting in one body. There was even talk that the scripture’s words about being with the Goddess eternally might mean exactly this form.

 

After successfully creating a Hero, the research came to an end, but Amelia showed excellent learning ability and entered the core of the Religious Order.

 

‘I am…’

 

However, naturally, there were side effects.

 

‘…who am I?’

 

Little by little, as time passed, the girl’s soul lost dominance.

 

The fact that she endured for several years might prove that Amelia’s soul was special. But now, all of that was nothing more than useless talk.

 

The personalities of the souls filling her body mixed together. She even forgot who she was.

 

The time she remained sane gradually decreased.

 

The reason she was in this place, in this state, was simple. The Religious Order had determined that the girl had outlived her usefulness. The girl who had barely escaped being a test subject and received a name had her name taken away again. She became a test subject for yet another experiment.

 

The experiment was successful.

 

‘Was it successful?’

 

She wasn’t certain. Seeing how she was confined like this, it seemed they hadn’t obtained the desired results.

 

The girl opened her eyes and looked ahead.

 

After a long time, the person who had set foot in this space gave off a rather familiar feeling. Since they didn’t seem to be from the Religious Order, perhaps they were one of the other test subjects.

 

‘I don’t know.’

 

Then this too must be one of the experiments.

 

‘Are they observing reactions?’

 

It would be another experiment, combined with disposing of other test subjects. The girl, who had been blankly staring at the test subject before her, attacked them. There was no need to move. Just thinking it was enough.

 

But the test subject survived.

 

And then they muttered various things to themselves. It was clearly aftereffects of experimentation. The girl could be certain since she was experiencing similar things.

 

The girl decided to end the life of the pitiful test subject.

 

“Should I give praise.”

 

And suddenly, the test subject’s atmosphere changed.

 

“Or should I be annoyed.”

 

The body that had been rigid with tension relaxed languidly. They looked completely defenseless. But for some reason, the girl felt intimidated by that appearance.

 

It was the first time this had happened. At least since undergoing this experiment.

 

“In the end, things worked out well, but it’s quite different from the original plan.”

 

The test subject, who had been leisurely stretching as if enjoying freedom, looked directly at the girl.

 

“You may rejoice. I am a merciful king.”

 

All the souls dwelling in the girl’s body screamed in sticky, unpleasant revulsion.

 

* * *

 

Johnny, standing before the holy sword, quietly observed his surroundings.

 

He was waiting for the Saint to wake up, but it was an uncertain matter. Since it was the aftereffect of the Goddess directly possessing her body, there was no telling how long it would take for her to regain consciousness. Pouring divine power into her would likely have adverse effects.

 

The Pope’s gaze was still directed beyond the wall. Whether she could actually see something, her expression was serious.

 

“Just now…”

 

Thank you. Just as he was about to say that, Albeng smiled and shook his head.

 

“It’s fine. As I said earlier, the Hero can’t die just yet.”

“…Ha, ha.”

 

At the grim joke, Johnny, who had been breaking out in cold sweat, looked at Shtidy.

 

Albeng wasn’t the only one who had saved Johnny from danger. Though it hadn’t been very effective, hadn’t Shtidy also stepped forward for Johnny’s sake?

 

Shtidy was looking at Albeng with a complicated expression.

 

“…Shtidy?”

“It’s been a while, Albeng.”

 

Did they know each other? Johnny wondered what connection there could be between Shtidy, a mage from the Magic Tower, and Albeng, a High Priest of the Holy Nation.

 

The answer flowed from Albeng’s lips.

 

“Indeed. Shtidy. Is this the first time since the Academy? I never thought we’d meet again like this.”

“…Right.”

 

Johnny felt left out.

 

The Academy was a place that had no connection whatsoever to Johnny, who had been an ordinary guard from a rural territory.

 

Johnny managed his expression with all his might. It was absurd for the Hero to feel excluded over something like this. If he failed to control his expression, he would ruin his first impression spectacularly.

 

“Seeing your face brings back old memories. Simone, Lady Adrena, and such. Weren’t you particularly close with Lady Dorian?”

“…Well. I suppose we were.”

“I’m curious how everyone is doing.”

 

Johnny had traveled with Shtidy for the past few months and had shared quite a few conversations. While he didn’t know the other names, he had often heard about the last one, Lady Dorian.

 

‘I’m sure he said she was some annoying woman who joined the Red Magic Tower right after graduation.’

 

From Albeng’s words, they seemed to have been quite close, so he wondered how they had ended up on such terms.

 

“Did we talk too much among ourselves? It’s been so long since I met a classmate.”

“No. You don’t need to worry about it.”

 

Even as he said that, anxiety continued to stir in Johnny’s heart. Was it really okay to be having such leisurely conversations when the Demon Lord might have invaded? What had the Pope been looking at all this time?

 

‘She’s not going senile, is she…?’

 

Perhaps sensing Johnny’s irreverent gaze, the Pope frowned and spoke.

 

“You must have seen several other passages on your way here.”

“Ah, yes.”

“They’re connected to various facilities of the Papal Palace. Naturally, there are traps, and some places are sealed with barriers and cannot be accessed.”

“This is one of them.”

 

Albeng, who had been talking with Shtidy, casually added.

 

Well, this was where the First Hero’s holy sword was kept after all. No matter how untouchable the item might be, it was the continent’s greatest treasure. There was no way they would have left it without any protective measures.

 

“One of them was just breached.”

“…What?”

 

Did this mean that a being who might be the Demon Lord was coming here right now? The Pope looked at the flustered Johnny with disdain, then turned her gaze back to the wall and spoke.

 

“It’s the most dangerous place in the Holy Nation, where something that could have destroyed the Holy Nation is sealed. Even if it really is the Demon Lord, he won’t be able to escape easily.”

 

Johnny belatedly realized that the Pope wasn’t talking about this location and let out a sigh of relief.

 

‘As expected of the Holy Nation.’

 

It was fitting for a country called the strongest on the continent along with the Empire.

 

The situation was different from a thousand years ago.

 

The humans who had relied on the First Hero and cried out for salvation had somehow become the rulers of the continent. They had driven many threatening monsters to extinction and achieved victory against other races.

 

Human technology and civilization had advanced, and the number of strong individuals had increased incomparably to those times.

 

Wasn’t there even talk that when the dragon appeared in the Imperial Capital, if the Imperial Palace had responded actively, they could have won without the Hero? The Holy Nation must also have several trump cards hidden away.

 

‘So they can respond even if the opponent really is the Demon Lord.’

 

Johnny sighed and spoke.

 

“That’s fortunate.”

 

Johnny finally understood Albeng’s composed demeanor.

 

Though he didn’t know the details, since he was chosen as the Hero’s companion, he must be an important figure within the Holy Nation. He would probably know well what kind of measures had been prepared for such situations.

 

“What is that?”

“…What are you referring to?”

“That light. What kind of spell is it? Does it help with consciousness recovery?”

 

Johnny pointed at the Saint who was leaning against Albeng. A faint light was emanating from the Saint’s body.

 

“Oh, this is…”

 

Albeng, who had been looking down at the Saint for a moment, closed his mouth. The Saint slowly raised her body. The light grew stronger and stronger.

 

“As expected, everything was prepared.”

 

It was clear that the Saint had awakened. Now, depending on what story came out of her mouth, Johnny’s fate could be said to change.

 

Johnny, who had been watching the Saint with a tense expression, suddenly realized that the surroundings had become incredibly quiet.

 

Even setting aside the Pope who had been quiet from the beginning, even Albeng and Shtidy, who had been chattering excitedly, were just staring at the Saint with confused expressions.

 

“Why is everyone like this?”

“…What is this?”

“Pardon?”

 

But without time to resolve the question, the Saint’s mouth opened.

 

-Foolish, worthless, incompetent things.

 

A voice that felt familiar.

 

It was natural. It was the voice he had heard just a moment ago from the platform above.

 

‘A second revelation in one day?’

 

Unlike before when it was mixed with bizarre noise, this was a clear voice. The emotions contained within it were transmitted vividly.

 

-You have failed.

 

It was anger.

 

-The Deceiver has gained a body again.

 

The Deceiver.

 

Ordinary people might wonder who was being referred to, but Johnny, who had received education to become a Hero through Patron Dahan, understood immediately.

 

The one who twists laws and deceives the world. An existence equivalent to materializing the concept of dark magic.

 

It was the Demon Lord.

 

The Demon Lord had gained a body again. The Goddess was saying so.

 

-Before it gains complete power, stop it. Kill it.

 

But if the Pope was right, wasn’t the first revelation definitely about a new Demon Lord?

 

Without time to resolve the question, the Saint moved toward the Holy Sword.

 

The Holy Sword that had been stuck in the ground was pulled out by itself and held in her hand.

 

The Saint, no, the Goddess, who had been looking around briefly, turned her gaze to Johnny. Her face frowned slightly. Before he could fathom the meaning, the Goddess approached Johnny.

 

“…?”

 

When he came to his senses. The Holy Sword had already been passed to Johnny’s hand.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————