The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 134

Thud, thud.

The Holy Knights were marching through the 2nd district of the capital, the residential area where the delegation participating in the meeting with the high-ranking nobles was staying.

“…Lael, brother. Are you really sure about this?”

Carlson of the Silver Cross Knights approached Lael, the Hero, who was walking at the head.

Lael confidently puffed out his chest, leading the Silver Cross Knights.

“It’s something the Order has permitted, Carlson. Besides, I heard that the Hero has the same authority as the Commander of the Silver Cross Knights. Why are you telling me this good news now?”

“I didn’t know either. A Hero hasn’t appeared in hundreds of years. Lael, brother, I trust you no matter what happens… but I don’t trust Cardinal Bernardo’s permission. Don’t you think he just gave you a rough approval to look good to you?”

“Aish, Carlson, why are you so talkative? I’m telling you I received a revelation from Gaia [the main goddess of their religion]! Don’t you trust me?”

Buzz-

Lael raised the Holy Sword hanging from his waist.

It was Saint, the Holy Sword, the symbol of the Hero.

[When did Gaia give you a revelation? You crazy fraud!]

Buzz-

Saint trembled and expressed its dissatisfaction, but Lael just pretended not to notice.

‘Yeah. If I’m the only sane one in this messed up world, then I’m the crazy one.’

Lael didn’t want to use such a crude method either.

He was an elite who had completed higher education, a well-mannered and sensible intellectual.

However, it’s not polite not to use the power you’ve gained.

“Still, I’m uneasy. Haa.”

Carlson sighed as he looked at the Vanessa Kingdom delegation’s residence, which was now visible.

He had brought the Silver Cross Knights to the foreign delegation, claiming to have received a revelation from the main god Gaia out of nowhere, so Carlson couldn’t help but worry.

“Carlson. Do you know how to find peace of mind?”

“What is it, brother?”

“Don’t argue with an idiot.”

“What nonsense is that? What does an idiot have to do with peace of mind?”

“You’re right, Carlson.”

“…?”

Carlson tilted his head, but Lael felt relieved.

Come to think of it, this was originally his personality.

Now that he had gained the power of the Hero, he decided to do as he saw fit.

“Open the door!”

Thump! Thump!

Lael stepped forward and knocked on the main gate of the delegation.

The answer came quickly.

“Who is it! This is the residence of the Vanessa Kingdom delegation!”

“I am Lael, the Hero of the Gaia Order. I have received a revelation that there are cultists here, so cooperate with the investigation.”

“Excuse me? What… We cannot open the door unless we receive a formal request from the Empire!”

“Is that so?”

Lael nodded and drew his sword.

Kwaaaaaaang-!

And he went inside, splitting the front gate in two.

“No, Lael, brother…?”

“Sir Carlson. What should we do?”

“…Haa. I don’t know either. Let’s go in!”

Carlson decided to stop thinking now.

Lael would take responsibility for it.

The Holy Knights blinked and followed behind.

“Uh, uh…?”

The gatekeeper blinked, looking at the front gate split in two.

He had clearly instructed them to bring a formal request from the Empire, so why were they breaking down the door and coming in?

Was he a bandit instead of a Hero of the Order?

At the same time, a man ran out from behind.

“W-What is going on! This is where the Vanessa Kingdom delegation is staying!”

Lael looked at Edmund, who had run out of the building.

He seemed flustered as he looked around.

He probably didn’t expect them to come this far.

“Gaia-men [followers of Gaia]. I am Lael, the Hero of the Gaia Order.”

“I am Edmund, the representative of the Vanessa Kingdom delegation. This is the residence of the Vanessa Kingdom delegation. If there is no proper explanation, we will formally protest.”

Edmund spoke seriously, but Lael didn’t care about his attitude.

“I have received a revelation from Gaia that there are cultists here.”

Lael smiled and drew his Holy Sword.

The enormous amount of light emanating from the Holy Sword Saint was truly like a revelation from Gaia.

“What is that…!”

Edmund looked around in embarrassment.

The Holy Knights standing behind Lael were all sharp.

Even if the delegation used force, it seemed they would not be able to push them back easily.

‘Silver Cross Knights. And Hero Lael… Damn it. He’s stronger than I expected.’

According to the information he had gathered, Lael was, at best, a well-matured Graduate [a rank in martial arts].

There were rumors that he was challenging the Sword Master’s wall after winning the Yongbong Tournament, but he thought it was just nonsense.

‘Sword Master beginner… or maybe more.’

Holy Knights who use divine power are usually considered one level higher than their actual martial strength.

So, Lael’s martial strength was beyond Edmund’s imagination.

‘…There are still spring paintings [erotic paintings] that I haven’t delivered to the Demonic Cult.’

The rise of the Demonic Cult is in a week.

The Demonic Cult’s grasp will extend throughout the continent, and the Empire will not be able to escape its aftermath.

The Vanessa Kingdom had to buy time until then.

“…Sir Lael. You said you received a revelation?”

“Yes. The main god Gaia gave a direct revelation to her lamb. She said she feels the power of cultists here.”

“I know that the main god Gaia hasn’t given a revelation in hundreds of years. The last revelation was about a great disaster… I know that she doesn’t care about trivial things like the location of cultists…”

“So?”

“Yes?”

Lael replied with a blank expression.

“So what are you going to do about it? I’m telling you I received a revelation? Are you claiming that the Hero of the Gaia Order is lying? Sir Edmund. Can I take it that your statement represents the entire Vanessa Kingdom delegation?”

Lael raised his Holy Sword.

Holy light poured from his sword, and the Holy Knights standing behind him placed their hands on their swords.

“…I apologize. It was a slip of the tongue.”

Edmund lowered his head and bit his lip.

Even if the Vanessa Kingdom did not believe in the Gaia Order, they should not make remarks that ignored them.

If he made a mistake, it could become a diplomatic issue, and problems could arise before the rise of the Demonic Cult.

“I’ll let it go this once. If Gaia’s revelation is wrong, I will take responsibility. This is your last chance. Get out of the way now.”

“…I understand.”

Edmund stepped back and signaled the delegation to step back as well.

He was making a strong claim that cultists had appeared, so he couldn’t draw his sword here.

That alone would give the other party reason to suspect him.

In the first place, if he was this sure, there was nothing he could do to stop him.

“Silver Cross Knights.”

“Yes!”

Lael smiled and turned his head.

The Holy Knights behind him were burning with enthusiasm, as if they were going to participate in Gaia’s revelation.

Lael pointed to the mansion where the delegation was staying and said.

“Turn everything upside down.”

*

While the Silver Cross Knights were searching the delegation’s residence.

Lael was talking to the Sword Dragon.

“Lael. Did you really receive a revelation?”

“Yes. I really did. There will be traces of cultists here. Sword Dragon, you’ll be fine, so don’t worry too much.”

“Cultists….”

The Sword Dragon seemed to be lost in thought, as if something had come to mind.

‘If it’s the Sword Dragon, I don’t have to worry.’

The Sword Dragon is the one who stands on the side of humanity until the end in the original story.

There’s no need to worry about him.

“Sir Lael. No, Hero. Ahem. Even so, if you suddenly start doing things like this….”

“Didn’t Cardinal Bernardo personally approve it? Why did you come all the way here?”

“W-Well….”

Bernardo, who had rushed all the way from the headquarters, took out a handkerchief and wiped away his sweat.

Before he knew it, he had become the Cardinal who helped Lael’s expedition.

If they searched the Vanessa Kingdom delegation’s residence like crazy and nothing came out….

‘I’m the one who’s going to be ruined…!’

The Order’s Hero, who had already been chosen by the Holy Sword, would not be kicked out.

He would take all the political problems on himself.

Bernardo dragged his heavy body to this place to somehow fix the situation.

“…Sir Lael. It’s already been 3 hours. How long are you going to treat the Vanessa Kingdom delegation like this?”

At that time, Edmund approached.

He was narrowing his eyes as if he was holding back his anger.

“I’m sorry. The search is taking longer than expected.”

“You’ve already searched every space in the residence. No matter how strong the Gaia Order is, I will not tolerate this treatment any longer.”

Edmund approached Lael as if he was furious.

Having been active as an elder of the Demonic Cult for a long time, he was excellent at hiding his emotions.

‘You’ll never find it.’

The spring paintings used to communicate with the Demonic Cult contain the Demonic Cult’s magic.

Very subtle demonic energy is engraved in the paintings, so even elders cannot read the demonic energy unless they are at the elder level.

No matter how many Holy Knights there are, they will not be able to find the spring paintings.

‘Is it about time?’

Lael turned his head slightly.

The Holy Knights, who were full of enthusiasm at first, now had expressions of half-doubt, and the Vanessa Kingdom delegation, centered on Edmund, was full of dissatisfaction.

“Once again… I feel a revelation.”

Lael moved his steps with his Holy Sword drawn.

In fact, he can find traces of the Demonic Cult at any time.

However, if he finds traces of the Demonic Cult as soon as he arrives, the impression will be less impressive.

Lael must find what no one else has found at once, so that the Hero’s authority can be established.

Sreureuk-

As soon as Lael entered the mansion, he activated the Predator’s Sense.

With the divine power of the Holy Sword and the Predator’s Sense.

With these two powers, Lael can catch any demonic energy.

[I didn’t give a revelation, but… Demonic energy! I feel demonic energy!]

“I know.”

Lael immediately moved his steps.

The Holy Knights followed behind him, moving as if they were sure.

“Lael, brother?”

“Carlson, step aside for a moment.”

“Ah, yes!”

Lael stared intently at the room Carlson was investigating.

“Carlson, do you feel anything here?”

“I’m not sure either. I feel uneasy for some reason, so I keep investigating….”

“You have a good sense too.”

Lael smiled.

Carlson. This guy is a bit of a troublemaker, but he definitely has talent.

However, the Demonic Cult’s demonic energy is too subtle.

Seureung-

Lael raised his Holy Sword high.

And he slammed it down on the floor.

Kwaaaang-!

“T-This is…?!”

Carlson frowned as he looked at the papers in the hollowed-out floor.

They were all strangely shaped pictures.

“Those Vanessa Kingdom bastards….”

“They will be punished by Gaia.”

The Holy Knights who saw the spring paintings also began to speak one by one.

Meanwhile, Lael nodded and raised his hand.

“I feel demonic energy from this painting! Silver Cross Knights! Take them all!”

“……Lael, brother?”

Carlson turned his head to look at Lael as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

Could it be that the Hero of the Gaia Order is interested in such monstrosities?

“Carlson. I am not Lael, your brother, right now. I am the Hero of the Gaia Order.”

“Ah… Yes. The Hero says to take the paintings!”

The Silver Cross Knights began to move the spring paintings according to Lael’s orders.

The Holy Knights, who had been shaking their heads at the spring paintings, began to feel something strange as they looked at the hundreds of paintings.

‘Things have gotten easier.’

Lael smiled.

Originally, he had to take it to the Order’s headquarters to check the demonic energy, but Bernardo had rushed all the way here.

“Cardinal Bernardo. It’s a trace of the Demonic Cult.”

“Hero. How can a Hero who follows Gaia… look at such obscene things….”

Bernardo narrowed his eyes as he looked at the spring paintings.

They were paintings that even Gaia, who was supposed to embrace everything, would be shocked by.

“Take a closer look. Cardinal Bernardo.”

“Yes? Where exactly… um?”

Talent is inherently unfair.

Bernardo liked money more than doctrine, but he didn’t get the position of Cardinal for nothing.

“T-This is…!”

Bernardo had divine power that was so great that he was able to rise to the position of Cardinal.

If he looked at it this closely, it was not difficult to read the subtle demonic energy.

He felt an unknown sense of unease and drew up his divine power.

Hwaaaak-

“Demonic energy! I feel demonic energy!”

Bernardo’s eyes widened.

The Hero of the Gaia Order.

He had really received a revelation!

“That’s right. It’s demonic energy. If it’s the Cardinal, you can feel it, right? It’s proof that the Vanessa Kingdom is in contact with the Demonic Cult.”

“Yes! In the name of Bernardo, I guarantee that these paintings are traces of the Demonic Cult!”

With Bernardo’s conviction, the Holy Knights also began to trust Lael’s words.

No, now the Silver Cross Knights could not doubt the holiness of the Hero Lael.

He found traces of the cultists that they had not been able to find even after searching the residence for hours at once.

If this wasn’t the Hero’s miracle and Gaia’s revelation, then what was it!

“Silver Cross Knights.”

“Yes!”

Lael smiled as he looked at the Silver Cross Knights, whose eyes had improved.

Indeed, people respect and follow those who do what they cannot do.

Lael raised his hand.

His hand pointed to the Vanessa Kingdom delegation.

“They are the cultists who invaded the Empire. Arrest them all.”