The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 32

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

Fire

No, I can’t see anything and can’t move! Let me go!

I thought the Knight Commander would throw me down to the ground, but he set me down quite gentlemanly. He was probably worried that the impact of hitting the ground would break the magic.

Craaaack.

“Damn it, that crazy bastard finally…!”

Crash-!

Thud thud.

It seemed like stones fell to the side. It was a fragment of the future I had seen with my Prophecy Skill.

“Run away-!”

Ah damn, even knowing the future, I can’t use it for anything…!

This damn system maintenance… When the maintenance is over, they need to give me compensation. It’s natural to give rewards after maintenance ends.

I tried my best to move, but whether due to the Binding Magic, I couldn’t even twitch a finger.

Thud.

The vivid pain told me I had been kicked.

I couldn’t tell what I’d be hit by to get slammed into the wall with my Future Foresight Skill, but now I know.

The Knight Commander had violently kicked my abdomen with his hard armored boots. Something pooling in my mouth seemed to be blood.

At this rate, I’ll fly and hit the wall just like in the future.

I drew upon the Sacred Relic Power. I felt the warm sensation of broken ribs and damaged organs recovering.

A tremor in the air.

Thoom-

After bracing myself once, my body hit the wall. My back hurt momentarily, but the pain quickly disappeared.

It’s fortunate I can still use the Sacred Relic Power.

The impact of hitting the wall opened my vision. The blindfold or whatever had been covering me slipped down.

Thanks to the double hit, the Binding Magic was also released. Though the handcuffs on both hands remained.

As my vision cleared, I saw dull sky-blue hair like in the future vision. Cardil, with his hair tied in a ponytail, quickly turned to look at me.

As soon as the Binding Magic was released, I jumped up. Somehow he must have gotten hit, as blood was visible on Cardil’s forehead.

A pale purple sword aura wrapped in black smoke came flying. But I already knew this would happen. As expected, it’s better to use the Prophecy Skill regularly.

I rushed in front of Cardil.

“…!”

Skills aren’t working, but anyway, since it’s not related to defense or attack…

Slice.

I have no choice but to block with my body.

“…Se, Sernuan.”

Thud.

Both arms disappeared. Below the elbows felt empty. I guess it’s good that I don’t need to remove the handcuffs anymore.

I staggered from the suddenly missing weight. Cardil supported my staggering form with trembling hands. Though since Cardil is much smaller than me, it must look ridiculous…

A follow-up attack is coming. He intends to kill us both right here.

This is serious trouble. I pushed Cardil away and fell down, dodging the second consecutive attack. A few strands of hair were cut and scattered in the air.

Fortunately, whether adrenaline was flowing or what, it didn’t hurt. I’m lucky I didn’t faint from shock. However, since a body part was severed, the bleeding is severe.

The fallen body parts were turning into golden and white light powder and disappearing. Perhaps finding this strange, there were no more attacks.

“Why…”

“Cardil, do you remember what I told you?”

Throb.

Ah, the pain is starting to come slowly. The blood pouring from my arms looked surreal.

No, it actually is surreal, isn’t it…? This isn’t Ichadon, and human blood is falling while gradually turning white and disappearing as powder.

Whether Cardil created a barrier, I could see a pale blue light.

“Have you been contemplating yourself during this time?”

Eeeeee-

I heard tinnitus. The Knight Commander seemed to be saying something behind me, but it was drowned out by the ringing.

I tried to smile. My hair blocked my view so I couldn’t see Cardil’s expression. Something, whether cold sweat or blood, flowed down my chin.

“Cardil. The story about you having the power to save many more people… you haven’t forgotten it, have you?”

My head spun. My heart pounded. The bleeding gradually stopped.

“N-now is that time.”

I’m sleepy. I blinked my eyes trying not to fall asleep. Liquid pooled on my eyelashes.

“Cardil… won’t you save me?”

Thoom. The dome barrier that Cardil probably created by squeezing out his mana is being struck. As it’s becoming difficult to even maintain my posture, I leaned on Cardil.

Cardil, it’s time for your second class change! If you don’t change class, we’ll both be slaughtered here. You know that, right?

I don’t know if he thinks of me importantly enough to save me, but we’ve gotten along quite well, haven’t we? Right?

While I was thinking all sorts of thoughts about what to do if Cardil doesn’t treasure me that much, a trembling hand touched my back.

It’s warm. Whether he’s using a Healing Skill, the bleeding seemed to have stopped.

It probably did stop. Actually, the severed area hurts as if it were burned.

If I had a character window, the bleeding debuff icon would disappear and be clearly visible. That was a regrettable aspect.

Clang.

As soon as the tinnitus subsided, there was a sound like the barrier breaking. The air trembles. A sword rushes forward.

Crash-

I was bracing for the coming pain, but… even after several seconds, the sword strike didn’t come.

I heard Cardil’s quiet sigh.

“After you told me that… I contemplated my inner self differently. And now I’ve realized. Prayer is utterly useless…”

It was the appearance of a corrupted believer.

“This power that I thought I was receiving and using from God Lumensia was actually my own power – I’m fortunate to know this more clearly.”

His murmuring voice was a tone lower than usual.

Anyway, Cardil definitely succeeded in his second awakening! Yes! I’m saved!

My head was spinning, but I don’t know if this is because of dopamine or what. When I raised my head, Cardil’s black eyes were glowing bright blue.

Cardil was holding me with one hand and extending his other hand toward the Knight Commander. Glancing sideways, I could see the Knight Commander staggering.

There was a mark on the wall where the Knight Commander had been slammed into it.

“Grrrk… What did you do, you heretic-!”

A thunderous roar came from behind. Finally, my healer has gained the Destruction Attribute and become an all-purpose damage-heal-utility character!

“Should I convey my thanks for giving me this enlightenment? Knight Commander, no. Once this matter is revealed, you won’t be Knight Commander anymore.”

“You’ve gotten cocky from simple luck.”

“Well, I sometimes thought about beating disobedient patients back into being patients, but actually creating patients with my own hands feels quite refreshing.”

Crackle.

A sphere made of dark blue energy formed in Cardil’s grasp. Without a staff, and even though he must have used quite a bit of mana just now, this level of control was amazing.

However, Cardil had consumed some mana treating me. He must have used quite a lot of mana to raise his barrier to the highest level to block the sword strike.

Even right after his second awakening, it won’t be easy to defeat the Knight Commander.

My dizzy head is getting better. My reddened vision is also slowly returning to normal. When I moved my arms, golden and pale green light was emanating from the cross-sections.

Hmm, others would praise this as divine.

From what I can see, the regeneration will be roughly finished in about 10 minutes. It was fast for regenerating missing parts, but 10 minutes in this situation is like an eternity.

“Cardil… I will assist you.”

My voice came out metallic. Damn, my reliable and charismatic voice…!

“Patients should lie down like patients.”

“Don’t you know… he will be difficult to defeat…”

“…I decline assistance like before ever again.”

“Hehe… were you worried I might die?”

When I smiled and raised my head, Cardil looked at me with an expression like ‘Should I hit this guy or not?’ so I got scared.

“But Cardil, Brother saved me, didn’t he? Next time too, the Brothers and Sisters will save me, so I won’t die. So don’t worry.”

When I tried to get up while half-leaning on Cardil’s body, my head spun from anemia.

“Please don’t make me worry. Please.”

The ‘please’ part had accent and emotion in it. I didn’t answer and stood up on both legs. I tried to straighten my back. Fighting is all about momentum after all… Ugh, this is hard.

In front, I could see the Knight Commander gripping his sword tightly. His glaring eyes ignored Cardil in front and were only looking at me.

What exactly did I do to make him so desperate to kill me? Since I don’t know what Sernuan Lumiere was doing, it makes me even more curious.

The Knight Commander’s legs twitched. He’s coming.

“Cardil, close your eyes.”

I immediately drew upon the power of the Purification Relic. Flash. The interior of the dark underground cell brightened.

“Such… petty tricks!”

He said that, but his body was dutifully covering his vision. Cardil immediately launched a blue-green sphere of energy gathered in his hand.

The Knight Commander who reacted in the midst of this tried to block the sphere with his sword, but the trajectory twisted and hit his shoulder blade.

Thud!

The greatly staggered Knight Commander grabbed his shoulder with his other hand. The shoulder part of his sturdy armor had completely blown away. That arm is probably useless now.

“Did you think you could return safely after even killing the Lord?”

Huh? The Lord?

The Lord is dead? What? Wait, no, huh?

“Even if you kill both of us here, the crime of murdering a Lord would be punishable by death anyway.”

“If I offer the heads of two heretics, wouldn’t the Empire understand?”

With one shoulder dangling, he raised his sword. Cardil began casting. A blue-green sphere began gradually forming in Cardil’s long, pale hands.

‘He won’t fall for it twice. Still, he’s someone who made it to Knight Commander. A surprise attack like before is impossible.’

That basic skill of Cardil’s is nothing more than forcibly gathering his violent magical power. It’s exactly the same as throwing a long-range punch with magic.

‘It’s not even a property change or skill. It’s just hitting with magical power.’

He got hit because it was a surprise attack, but it would be easy for a knight to overwhelm one level 1 mage and one fragile healer. I don’t even have both arms yet.

When I glanced down, clusters of light were restlessly rippling near my wrists.

‘I need a little more time for complete regeneration.’

Recently I’ve been sweetly increasing my follower count with the Balance-Punishment Skill Tree, so my spent points had increased a bit too, but the system maintenance had to happen now…

‘Rather than waiting for the system maintenance to unexpectedly end, breaking through this situation with my own power would have a higher survival rate.’

I don’t have Weakness Detection either. All I have is the Purification Relic that prevents poisoning and the Healing Relic working hard.

There’s no answer.

But… I can’t die here.

I steeled my resolve and raised my head to look at the Knight Commander.

“…!”

For some reason he seems extremely tense. No… is it fear rather than tension?

‘He’s frightened looking at me. If that’s the case… there’s plenty of chance for victory.’

I pressed my severed wrist against Cardil. Cardil rolled his eyes questioningly.

“Don’t waste magical power treating me.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to focus on restoring your hands?”

“Hehe, Brother Cardil takes priority over hands like those.”

“…Haah.”

Cardil let out a short sigh.

Perhaps regeneration speeds up toward the extremities, as one hand formed quickly. Good timing.

The Knight Commander wasn’t charging, but with a hardened expression he lowered his sword and came running. It’s a corridor not even 50 meters long. The radius of a sword swing alone is several meters.

The sword was swung. Cardil’s Magic Sphere has limits.

‘I just need to avoid being cut.’

Anyway, when both arms were severed, I took considerable damage. If such a gap occurs again, the Knight Commander will charge without hesitation to take my life.

Cardil doesn’t have enough magical power left to cast another barrier while attacking.

Then… in the end, this was the only move left.

Swoosh-

*

The heretic threw himself onto his sword. Having cut hundreds of times before, he knew it had gone in properly.

But why isn’t he falling…?

The heretic with white hair who had deeply bowed his head slowly raised it. And gave him a sly smile.

Yes, those eyes! Those bright yellow eyes… the moment they contained him, a subtle pressure poured out like waves.

Tremendous pressure. Tension pressed down on his entire body like the mass of water.

‘It’s a vital spot. I stabbed it properly in a vital spot. But he’s smiling. He’s definitely a demon… Don’t let your guard down, yes. If I twist the sword like this and separate his upper and lower body…!’

He gritted his teeth and gripped the sword handle again.

Then the evil spirit reached out his arm and grasped his sword handle with delicate hands that seemed to have never done hard work.

‘I’m going to die.’

Surely it was the bastard who was stabbed in a vital spot. But…

Even though this should be underground, the pressure and weight of hundreds of eyes watching him…

“You vermin-like heretic!”

He deliberately shouted loudly to shake off the tension.

However, for survival’s sake, he had no choice but to let go of the sword. It was pressure enough to make even himself, who had trained his whole life, release his sword and create distance.

“This crazy…!”

The heretic’s minion. An apostate who betrayed Lumensia despite being a bishop!

He looked at the heretic bastard with the sword pierced through his stomach with insolent words and behavior unbefitting a cult leader. Black pupils rolled around and looked at him.

In the apostate’s other hand, a blue-green Magic Sphere was ominously swirling in formation.

‘Ah… damn.’

I let my guard down.

The blue-green Magic Sphere shoots toward him.

I can’t dodge at this distance.

KWAAAAANG-

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