The Imperial Supreme Commander Has Returned - Chapter 56

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Imperial Commander Has Returned – Episode 56

[Crusader]

A representative who embodied the wrath of the God of Light.
No small position—in every sense, it rivaled the Pope himself.
And yet suddenly he was being asked to become one?

“Crusader… you mean the God of Light’s enforcer?”
“What!”
“Well, that’s what it amounts to. I’m sorry, but I don’t believe in the God of Light. I understand he’s an impressive figure, but I’m not interested in swearing loyalty to anyone at this point.”
“Such blasphemy!”
“Wait, hold on. I heard the Pope was going to give me a reward… surely this trial isn’t meant to be that reward, is it?”
…….

Nuak fell silent.
Watching him, Delram felt the world tilt.

His opponent was none other than the Pope himself—not even a Cardinal like Nuak.
The single largest religion in the world, commanding hundreds of thousands of believers.
The highest authority at its apex.
How much power did he wield? How much did he possess?

This was a genuine opportunity to thoroughly extract concessions from the Pope.
Yet rather than simply granting him a Crusader position……
He’d only traded it for the right to take a trial?

“I’m going mad! I kept quiet because I thought an old man of his standing would bring me a reward perfectly suited to me.”
“This is perfectly suited to you.”
“A trial registration fee is?”
“Yes. Do you know what a Crusader’s exclusive weapon is? It’s Bryunand, Holy Armor of Light—the highest-grade Sacred Artifact in the entire Church of Light.”
“Well… I see.”

Delram exhaled deeply once more.
A Sacred Artifact. Bryunand, Holy Armor of Light.

Admittedly, he did need armor at the moment.
And something like an artifact from the Church of Light would be more than sufficient.

But he’d just said it himself, hadn’t he?
[Exclusive weapon]—that was the phrase.
He’d have to become a Crusader first before he could even put it on.

‘But didn’t they say no one’s passed the trial in nearly fifty years?’

Fifty years—half a century, the span in which mountains could shift and rivers run dry.
How impossibly difficult must it be, that every challenger had failed in all that time?

To begin with, Delram possessed no Holy Power whatsoever.
Forget passing the trial—he might not even be permitted to enter the place where it was held, the Hall of Proof or whatever it was called.

“Isn’t the risk too great? The Church of Light has few weapons, but surely plenty of decent armor. Why not offer that instead……?”
“Those can be obtained anytime. But Bryunand, Holy Armor of Light—its necessity drops drastically if not now.”
“……?”

At these weighted words, Delram looked up sharply.
Nuak met his gaze with the eyes of a true believer.

Now that he thought about it, he’d been making rather myopic judgments.
As a Returned Irregular, the only person I could trust now was Nuak.
Moreover, Nuak was someone who had struggled harder than anyone else to avert humanity’s extinction, right up until the moment of his death.
If I had chosen to believe in him, then I had to believe.

“Well then, let’s give it a try.”
“Good thinking.”
“But is it actually possible to pass? I’m still uncertain—I’m only a low-rank knight. I think I could manage against an Intermediate-rank Knight or so, but anything beyond that is beyond me. And I don’t even have Holy Power.”
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Is there anything I need to prepare before the trial?”

At Delram’s question, Nuak lifted his head.
All that was visible, naturally, was the ceiling of the Mansion.
Yet Nuak gazed upward as if peering beyond it, and smiled faintly.

“Before you go, offer a prayer to the God of Light.”

* * *

[Sacred Artifact]

The name sounded impressive, but in essence it was an Artifact.
The only real difference was that it ran on Holy Power instead of Mana.
It typically contained Sacred Magic such as Healing, Blessing, and Consecration.

The method of creation, however, was somewhat different.
Artifacts were produced in a more industrial fashion.
The main process involved etching specific circuits around a Mana Stone, and since the manufacturing method was standardized, one only had to follow the procedure exactly.
In other words, it could be taught and put to practical use.

Sacred Artifacts were different.
They were made by grinding people down.
Of course, that wasn’t meant literally.
Though genuinely doing so might actually have been more humane.

The method of creation was simple enough.
A high priest simply had to pray with all their passion and devotion—and that was it.

Naturally, it couldn’t be done carelessly.
One had to consider how the Sacred Artifact would benefit the world.
While channeling Holy Power with that purpose in mind.

One day. Two days. Three days.…
Forgetting food, forgetting sleep… and continuing until it was complete.

If you stopped halfway, it would all be for nothing.
Once you began, you had to see it through to the end.
But did that guarantee success?

‘No. It didn’t.’

Even after completion, whether it would produce the desired effect was uncertain.
For example, suppose a priest prayed fervently with Healing in mind.
But what if their concentration wavered partway through?
Then the Holiness of Defense might end up woven into it instead.

A master craftsman’s masterpiece could become worthless.
Conversely, a miracle could be embedded in something a child made carelessly.

Just hearing about it was infuriating—the sheer unpredictability of it.
This was precisely why Sacred Artifacts were so precious.

‘Bryunand is the highest-ranked Sacred Artifact among them all.’

Bryunand, Holy Armor of Light!
It was a famous Sacred Artifact, though even Delram didn’t know its details.
It was equipment that only Crusaders could wear in the first place.
So no matter how fine it was, it amounted to nothing for him.

Moreover, there was no possibility of Bryunand’s owner becoming an enemy.
Why would the Empire’s state religion attack Delram, the Empire’s commander?
So he’d never bothered investigating it thoroughly.

Still, he knew a few things about it.
That a Crusader would be appointed some thirty years hence.
That they fought with tremendous ferocity against demons.
He’d actually fought alongside them.

‘They were impressive back then.’

Being armor, it possessed no special offensive abilities.
But in terms of defense, it was truly unparalleled.

The moment the Crusader raised their hand.
A sixty-four-faced golden barrier descended upon thousands of knights in perfect unison, shielding them from all manner of corruption and evil.

—Come! For the future of humanity!
—Uaaaaaaah!

What have they to fear when blessed by the divine?
The knights charged eagerly toward the legions of demons and monsters.
It remained one of the most unforgettable sights he’d ever witnessed.

Of course, Bryunand’s power didn’t end there.
Aside from the barrier, there was said to be one other formidable ability—

‘Well, I’ll find out once I have it.’

With that thought, Delram fixed his gaze ahead.
There stood an enormous gate.
Metal, with a width of five meters alone.

Its surface bore engravings of the sun and stars.
Symbols of the God of Light itself.

Perhaps because of that, the atmosphere was agreeable despite its imposing scale.
There was something warm about gazing upon it.
The Holy Script carved along its edges surely contributed to that feeling.

This was the Crusader’s testing ground.
Otherwise known as the Hall of Proof.

‘Or rather, so they said it was the place where Holy Knights are selected.’

The trial consisted of three gates in total.
To become a Holy Knight, one had to pass the first gate.
To become a Holy Knight Commander, the second.
For a Crusader, passing all gates was naturally the requirement.

“Welcome.”
“I am honored to meet Your Holiness and the Cardinals.”

Delram bowed respectfully to the elderly figures standing before the door.
Today’s observers were the Pope, a Cardinal, and their attending Holy Knights.

“It is an honor to meet the hero who slew a demon.”
“You’re too kind. I intend to slay many more in the years ahead.”
“Mm… I’m grateful to hear such resolve. Baron Fler, I trust Nuak has told you—the Crusader advancement trial is formidably demanding, yes?”
“Bishop Nuak mentioned it.”
“Strength of arm alone does not a knight make. It is faith—above all, being one whom the God of Light favors—that alone permits passage through that needle’s-eye of a Gate.”
“Well, isn’t the Church of Light itself a congregation founded to serve the God of Light? Naturally, one must please the master.”
“Hmm…….”

The Pope fell silent, a thin breath escaping him.
A revelation from the God of Light, and the Bishop’s account of demon-slaying.
Hearing only that, he’d taken the nobleman for one of genuine piety.

Yet in direct conversation, something felt amiss.
His words themselves contained no fault, and yet there lingered an edge of irreverence.
Though not quite enough to warrant complaint.

“I shall undergo the trial now.”
“Very well, then.”

The Pope nodded and channeled Holy Power into the door.
The massive doors swung open to either side, revealing brilliant light beyond.

The trial commenced immediately.
Delram stepped forward into the chamber.

A brilliant flash engulfed him.

* * *

[Hall of Proof]

The proving ground for the Crusader trial.
From outside, it appeared no larger than a modest chamber.
Yet stepping within revealed its true expanse—vast and disorienting.
Powerful Holy Power warped the very space itself.

The first of its trials was the First Gate.
The [Labyrinth of Holiness] lived up to its name.
Ceiling and walls sealed every direction; one navigated its branching passages until discovering the hidden exit.

‘The walls won’t yield to ordinary force.’

Delram rapped his knuckles experimentally against the barrier.
Whatever substance composed it possessed formidable density.

He could shatter it if he committed his full strength—but that would be foolish.
Breaking through a space woven from Holy Power by brute force?
That would not be creative problem-solving. It would be Blasphemy.

So how was the exit to be found?
According to what Nuak had taught him, there were two methods.
One: wander madly until stumbling upon the entrance once more—

‘Or have the God of Light reveal it directly.’

The orthodox path was the latter.
They said that if you prayed earnestly enough, Holy Power would light your way.
Light would bloom and fly ahead to guide you.

Of course, they didn’t teach this to just anyone.
Those whose faith wavered in daily life, or those who lived contrary to the Church of Light’s doctrine—their Holy Power wouldn’t respond well.
The light might not appear at all, or if it did, it would shimmer like a firefly, moving sluggishly and weak.

‘Time limit: half a day.’

Twelve hours, in other words.
Fail to find the exit within that span, and the trial was a failure.
Then you could forget about becoming a Holy Knight or a Crusader.
So what was Delram’s contingency for the First Gate?

‘What contingency?’

Delram scratched his head.
He had no Holy Power to begin with—what preparation could there possibly be?
He’d only entered because Nuak had told him to.
Nuak, beloved by the God of Light himself, must have arranged something.

“Still, I can’t just sit here doing nothing… huh?”

Just as he was about to call out to the owl—
Suddenly, a ball of light materialized in front of him.
He followed it, and another appeared further ahead.
As he walked, yet another bloomed, then another, and another….
They trailed on like breadcrumbs.

After about five minutes of walking, Delram let out a laugh of bewilderment.
He couldn’t believe it.

“What?”

The lights had vanished, and before him now stood an iron door.
There was no doubt—it was the exit.

Five minutes and seventeen seconds.
A record for the fastest time ever.

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