The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 227

227

“I’ll do it, I’ll do it, so please, please don’t do that!”

Prince Obin, on the verge of tears, raised the white flag just as Elamas was about to kill the fourth guard.

Elamas killed the guards in such creative ways, as if humans were mere toys.

He was about to insert a sword into this guard’s mouth, aiming for the heart, when Obin shouted.

“See? It would have been much better if you had listened from the start. These three died because of your incompetence and hesitation, not because of me.”

As Elamas wore a sardonic smile, Valencidi felt a sense of despair as Obin brought the flute to his lips.

‘No.’

Stop it, Obin.

The reason you and the princess are still alive is that you still have value.

If you play the final movement now and break Rigwind’s barrier… Elamas will definitely kill you.

‘I’m sorry to the guards, but even if it means sacrificing all of them, until Rain Ludwig comes…’

I have to stop him.

I have to guide him to the right path.

But… I can’t escape this absolute pressure that’s crushing my entire body, my flesh, my soul.

‘Obin, no! Don’t play the flute!’

* * *

“Ashka wouldn’t have rung the bell five times for no reason.”

“That must mean the prince has returned.”

“We must go and help the prince.”

Many of the soldiers stationed throughout the castle grabbed their spears and swords and headed for the palace.

They should have been arriving one by one by now, but they were held back.

By a single paladin guarding the path leading to the palace.

“Absolute Style, Flash Severance.”

The Holy Spear Lignak scattered flashes of light wildly from the paladin’s grasp.

The emission of sword energy. A torrent of rampaging power sweeps through the entire area.

The buildings standing tall on both sides were cut away like paper and collapsed, clearing the suffocating surroundings.

“Wh-what is this…”

“A spear of light…?”

“That person was definitely guarding the priest…”

The soldiers would have met the same fate.

If the giant in black iron hadn’t stood in front of them, taking the brunt of the attack.

Heavy… The Dragon Bone Spear, held in both of Bart’s hands, creaked violently.

“Fall back until the fight is over! Being here is just a death wish!”

As Bart shouted at the soldiers, they exchanged glances and flinched back.

“This exchange has clearly demonstrated the superiority of my power over yours.”

Paladin Snire rotated the spear shaft with artistic skill, changing his stance.

“My order is to guard this path. I will not chase after those who flee, nor will I despise them.”

Orders, well, if it’s an order, it’s an order.

An order that can never be refused.

Because he was resurrected bound by the authority of the Lizard Lord, Elamas’s command over that authority was absolute.

“Immature warrior, there is no need to rush to your death.”

Bart did not answer.

He silently moved his feet towards the former paladin, his black iron armor clanking.

“I wonder what gives you the courage to stand against me. It can’t be your own strength, could it be because of the Dragonslayer’s Spear?”

What stopped Bart was the paladin’s next action.

“No need to be surprised. This is to teach you a lesson.”

Snire picked up a wooden club that was lying on the devastated ground…

Was it used by children when playing soldiers, or was it used to beat dust out of laundry?

Whatever its original purpose, it was certainly not a suitable weapon to use in this situation.

“What’s important for a warrior isn’t the weapon, but the warrior’s own skill.”

Did he bristle at the dismissive remark?

Or was it because he was impatient to get to the palace as soon as possible?

Bart, who had closed the distance in an instant, swung the Dragon Bone Spear with extraordinary power and speed.

“……!”

The blow, which seemed capable of shattering even a rock wall, was easily blocked in the air as if it were a lie.

What held the Dragon Bone Spear was a club briefly imbued with explosive magical power….

The flow of power was so quiet that it momentarily gave the illusion that a small toy had collided.

However, as if denying such an illusion, a strong gust of wind blew, stirring up dust around.

Going one step further.

The wooden club that had stopped the Dragon Bone Spear spun around, then struck Bart’s chest armor, sending him flying.

Bart crashed into the alleyway fence, cracking the outer wall of the stone building, and blood poured from the vents of his helmet.

‘How can this be…?’

He feels the same despair as before.

Like when he faced the Dragon Slayer… It feels like standing in front of an endless cliff.

Do those at the pinnacle see something I can’t see?

“There is no need to despair. We, the firstborn, and you humans are born with considerable physical differences.”

Snire was of fairly ordinary build among warriors.

His height was barely average, and in terms of physique alone, Bart could be considered far superior.

And yet… is this the pinnacle?

If the Fae Quarians are the ultimate masters of the sword, then the paladins are the first-class masters of the spear. The twin peaks of martial power that protect the civilized world.

To cut off the despair rising in his head, Bart let out a piercing shout and thrust the Dragon Bone Spear with all his might.

“Southern Style Seventh Form, Five Clear Mountain Strike!”

He had never been arrogant enough to think he was strong, but he wasn’t this unskilled. He shouldn’t be.

“Shouting loudly doesn’t change the skill of the technique.”

But no matter how much he swung, stabbed, and slashed, it was he who was gradually being driven into a corner.

“Compared to the original owner of that spear, your skills are terribly embarrassing.”

No matter how much he struggled and strained, it was as if all that effort was returning to his own body….

“Can’t you hear the spear crying?”

Even the precision is felt in each sharply cutting motion. There were no flaws in that series of precise attacks.

‘The efforts couldn’t have been in vain.’

10 seconds?

At most, it would have been about 15 seconds.

‘The efforts so far couldn’t have been in vain.’

During those 15 seconds.

Snire, who had taken Bart’s attacks without moving even a step, had no wounds on his body, while more than 80% of his armor was damaged.

The body inside was covered in blood… Even the hand holding the Dragon Bone Spear was slippery with blood.

– Uncle.

– Uncle Bart.

– The world is chaotic, so you must wield weapons.

Seeing Bart approaching without giving up despite that condition, Snire felt puzzled.

Did he feel some kind of… tension from that almost obsessive spirit?

Before the Southern Style Thirteenth Form that Bart unleashed in the next moment could unfold, Snire, who had been defending all along, launched a counterattack for the first time.

“The victory or defeat has already been decided, so what are you continuing to attack for?”

The sharply honed sword energy of the club was chillingly stopped in front of Bart’s eyes.

It didn’t not reach.

It’s just that the opponent didn’t let it reach.

“Do you want to walk the path of enlightenment by defeating a paladin? Do you want to use me as a tool for your reputation? Or do you just want to die?”

Unorganized breathing flowed from inside the crushed black iron helmet.

“I have never once set such an impossible goal as being the best in the world.”

Inhaling.

Exhaling.

In the gaps between those breaths, a wheezing sound mixed with the blood of internal bleeding. Each of Snire’s counterattacks had acted as a fatal wound.

“So, are you just attacking me to die?”

Lista, the hero of mankind.

Arthur Brius, the greatest swordsman of mankind.

He himself knew painfully well that he was not the same as them, that he could not walk the same path as them.

Knowing that he could not reach the pinnacle, why doesn’t he let go of the sword? Why does he always wield the sword?

The reason has always been the same from the day he first picked up the sword until now. It had never changed.

“I just want to create a world where children don’t have to cry. That’s why I fight. When I first picked up a sword, and even now.”

A strange ripple spread across Snire’s face, as if he was extremely displeased with the fact that he had been resurrected.

“Excellent.”

A faint smile formed on his lips. He felt like he did it himself.

– Did you hear what he just said?

How did his path, which used to say the same thing as that, go so wrong?

The joy of the day when the Apostle of Seonryung appointed him as a paladin is still vivid in his memory.

Draping pure white silk cloaks over both shoulders is the last part of the paladin’s investiture ceremony, proof that the apostle has chosen him as his guardian.

– I like him. Snire, was it? I’ll pick this child.

At the time, there were seven warriors who had made it to the final selection. All of them were renowned masters of the spear from each branch.

Compared to them, Snire, who was only seventeen years old at the time, was just an unqualified kid.

Elsa, the youngest apostle who was raised by the red true dragon Shalesarum and spread beautiful fame by illuminating the darkness of the world with good deeds.

– But Apostle, this guy is the most… among the warriors here right now….

When she asked him why he learned swordsmanship, he remembered giving the same answer as that human warrior just now.

– A child with a promising future?

Then the apostle smiled brightly like a child and chose Snire.

– What do you think, Dad?

Regardless of everyone’s objections, she draped a white cloak over Snire’s shoulders.

She bestowed the Holy Spear upon Snire’s hands.

She chose Snire as her lifelong companion and guardian.

– I am also moved by that child’s will.

That’s what I decided at the time.

I will dedicate my spear, my life, and my life to this person, no matter what situation or moment comes.

‘Originally, she was the one who would illuminate the world.’

Wherever Elsa went, laughter bloomed. Whether there were humans, demihumans, or fairies there….

She smelled of the gods. In everything from her words, actions, laughter, and voice.

Being able to serve such a person up close was truly more miraculous than a miracle.

‘It would be a lie if I didn’t have feelings of affection, but knowing my place and duty, I never acted on them.’

Even while having to hide his feelings, Snire had spent ten years in blissful routine.

‘But everything changed when Shalesharoom died on the front lines… as if her very personality had been altered.’

Contempt and oppression of the weak, and corruption.

It seemed she believed the weak had driven Shalesharoom to her death, when the great flame had gone out of her own will.

Eventually, she tried to gain necromancy through contact with the Lizard Lord, Neigalas.

The abyss seeped into her grief and elegy. Snire couldn’t stop it.

The situation eventually spiraled into the worst possible outcome.

The Fairy race dispatched a large-scale subjugation force to end their race’s pride before it became a disgrace…….

– Paladin! Why are you protecting such an evil person! Have you also fallen?

On the day the elite warriors of the Fairy race swarmed in, Snire abandoned his beliefs and prioritized his duty.

He wanted to create a world where children didn’t cry, but the moment he saw a child crying who had followed a warrior, he froze as if his body had stopped.

At that moment, Snire was pierced by seven spears and met his death, after killing one paladin and 148 warriors.

– You are not dead. You will serve me again, though you must remain hidden for now.

He clearly thought he had died, but he opened his eyes, and now he was bound by the shackles of necromancy, being manipulated by Elamas.

If he had served her with duty and love in the past, now that he was revived…….

But now, hearing the words he had once spoken himself from someone else’s mouth, he felt that the shackles had loosened slightly.

“Very good.”

Murmuring that, Snire surprisingly created a distance of nearly ten paces first.

Then, he threw away the club and spun the Holy Spear Lyunark, which had been slung over his back, to catch it.

The Holy Spear, receiving its master’s command, emitted a refined light, creating a spearhead.

“I ask for your forgiveness for my rudeness in calling you an immature warrior.”

And the way to wash away that rudeness as a warrior is to put an end to this match with all his might.

Tsutsutsut…… With the sound of electric current sparking, the spearhead of the Holy Spear, explosively injected with mana in an instant, grew larger and larger.

The time it took for the high-level Holy Spear Lyunark, created by the fairies in their own workshops, to reach its maximum output was only 1.7 seconds.

“Human warrior, I want to know your name.”

It is not as versatile as a sword, which is called the chief of all weapons, but a spear has its own unique strengths.

That is the extreme point.

The extreme point of a master’s thrusting swordsmanship amplifies the killing power to a single point, possessing a ‘concentrated power’ that the sword’s wide-ranging swordsmanship does not have.

“Bart Yuryuns.”

He is known in the world as a platinum-ranked 11th-level master, but Bart is nothing more than a mere insect in front of Snire, unable to use sword energy [a technique that channels inner energy to enhance a sword’s cutting power].

He cannot use sword energy to counter that sword energy.

All Bart can do is close the gap and finish Snire off before that sword energy pierces his body.

“I will remember your name.”

It was around that time that Rem, who had finished his match with Pel, arrived here.

“What is this?”

With a scream-like voice, there was no time to stop the match. From the other side, Rain and Miria ran over.

“Bart!”

Before they could even grasp the situation, Bart shot out like an arrow, causing cracks in the ground with his enhanced leg strength.

The Holy Spear Lyunark, which was emitting a dazzling heat like the sun in its maximum output state, wailed loudly and sorrowfully.

The pure white flash that burst out from that spear’s extreme point momentarily stole all the light and shade and color from the world…….

“……!”

The intense wave of power that stretched out in a straight line grazed Bart’s shoulder.

A severe thermal burn; just a slight graze, and the shoulder armor melts away.

Rem clenched his fist as he watched Bart, who had dodged the sword energy and rushed towards Snire, an attack that pierced holes in all the structures in its path until it reached the horizon.

“He dodged it, as expected!”

No, did he dodge it?

Miria’s judgment, whose intuition as a swordsman had become close to that of a master through the resonance of memories, was different.

“It’s strange. It seems like he shot the sword energy in a way that was easy to dodge on purpose.”

Is that all?

Bart and Snire, who had rushed in, began exchanging blows, but this was also strange to see as a death-defying match.

“You can’t accomplish anything with faith alone, Bart Yuryuns.”

Snire’s momentum, fighting while gracefully scattering the Holy Spear’s sword, was impeccably clean.

“A warrior’s faith!”

There is no trick to deceive and mock the opponent to exploit their weaknesses, as if telling him to watch and learn well.

“Must be built on the bedrock of effort, passion, and skill!”

If the suspicious parts ended there, he would have intervened in the fight and tried to kill Snire.

“I’m trying!”

But…….

Snire points out the insufficient parts in Bart’s stance, simply pointing out the flaws in that stance.

He could kill him at any time if he wanted to, but he doesn’t.

“But I don’t have the same talent as you! I can’t build up that kind of skill!”

As if a swordsmanship master is sharply refining his disciple’s stance in a wooden sword sparring match.

“I too have felt the same despair as you.”

Like a long time ago, when Rista was teaching Rin the staff technique.

So that he can clearly remember his stance and imitate it later.

Miria had to flinch and shudder for a moment, glancing at Rain at the memories of her past life that suddenly came to mind without any context.

“But do not despair. Build your soul upon faith. Then one day you will reach it.”

Find someone you want to protect for the rest of your life, immature warrior.

No, perhaps there is no need to find one.

You said that you have already taken up the spear to protect the children of this world.

– Come here, Snire.

Perhaps from the beginning, my faith was weaker than yours.

Because after becoming her spear, my skills improved at a terrifying rate, far surpassing what they were when I only had that faith.

What more can I say? I have already said everything I can with the spear.

“……!”

“……!”

At that moment, Snire and Bart passed each other. And almost simultaneously, they turned around and thrust out their Holy Spear and Dragon Bone Spear.

How much time had passed since then?

Bart could see Snire.

From his right shoulder to his lower body, he was impaled by the Dragon Bone Spear and turned into a mass of blood. Only his left shoulder and face were intact.

“What is it?”

The power of necromancy was escaping from the dying body, raising countless purplish-black mirages from the severed surface.

“What on earth did he do?”

Bart doubted his senses.

The pain of the wounds that wracked his body was still there. In other words, it was the same as before.

So it could be said that he had not suffered any additional injuries.

“Why did you withdraw the sword energy, Paladin!”

The moment he saw the flash boiling from the Holy Spear, the moment he jumped into the flash, he sensed his end.

‘If so, he would have been willing to inflict at least some injuries for the sake of his remaining comrades.’

Snire’s expression as he faced death seemed to give the answer to this enigmatic result.

It was not a look of bewilderment at this unacceptable match.

It was somewhat relieved, as if he had found some answer, and apologetic…… Snire coughed up blood.

“I hope you know that I didn’t withdraw the sword energy to insult you…….”

“……?”

“I just couldn’t cut you down because I remembered that I too once held a spear with the same faith as you…….”

The only reason he brought out his full power was to confirm Bart’s sincerity. Everyone becomes honest in the face of death.

I couldn’t protect that faith to the end, but if there is someone who has the same faith as my past self after 500 years.

Even if I can’t encourage him, let’s not block his path. Even if I can’t open the way for him, let’s not hold him back.

“I…… ultimately couldn’t protect either my faith…… or her heart…….”

Although his fight was already over.

Although he had been stained with sins that could not be washed away by anything.

– I’m going to practice singing from now on, so Snire, sit there on the grass and listen.

– But I’m on guard…….

– Who’s going to attack me? Just listen quietly. Ah~! You laughed just now, didn’t you? I won’t let you off if you laugh at my tone-deafness.

– But Apostle, why singing? I know you’re good at playing stringed instruments.

– Children like songs, right? Unlike instruments, they’re easy to sing along to. Do you think anyone can buy an instrument?

– I see.

– Yes.

– I understand. I will listen with all my heart.

He wanted to create a world where everyone laughed.

He wanted to create it with her.

At that time, there is someone here who is running to create the scene of the dream that she and he were drawing.

“Bart Yuryuns…… do not make the same mistake as I did…… keep that faith in your soul and move forward, into the future…….”

With his last breath, the paladin pulled out the core that made up the central circuit from the high-level Holy Spear Lyunark.

When he brought that core, the essence of the Fairy race’s forging technology, to the blade of the Dragon Bone Spear, the core seeped into the blade as if it had been one from the beginning.

The Dragon Bone Spear felt like it was beating loudly and fiercely.

“Help her…… so that she doesn’t cry anymore either…….”

Originally, this was the succession ceremony.

One of the rituals in which the paladin passes on the power of the Holy Spear to his successor if he dies before the apostle, or if the Holy Spear is severely damaged.

“And create…… a world…… where children…… don’t have to cry…….”

With those words, Snire’s body completely scattered into mirages.

The only trace that the former paladin left on this earth was the shaft of the Holy Spear Lyunark, which had lost its core and was lying on the ground.

But that heart will remain in the spear and soul of the warrior living in the next generation and continue together…….

“Bart!”

“This enormous monster, he beat the paladin?”

“I’ll acknowledge calling it ‘Bart and Rem’s Heart-Pounding Money-Making Adventure Squad’ instead of ‘Rem and Bart’s Heart-Pounding Money-Making Adventure Squad’ just for today.”

“Acknowledge, acknowledge, ah, acknowledge.”

It was then that the comrades who had scattered earlier rushed in. No one was as seriously injured as Bart, so he felt a strange sense of relief.

“I didn’t win. He let me win.”

Leaving behind meaningful words that no one but Bart and Snire could understand, Bart stood up, leaning the Dragon Bone Spear on his shoulder.

“Let’s go. Obin is waiting.”

Bart swung his spear, hoping that his fight so far had not been in vain, and indeed, that fight had not been in vain.

Because that heart had reached the heart of the great warrior who had lingering attachments to his old life. Because it had freed him from the control of necromancy.

Tears welled up…….

Long after they had left, the Holy Spear Lyunark touched the foot of a child who was wandering through the chaotic world, searching for his mother who had disappeared crying.

The power of light that remained a little after the core was removed headed somewhere.

The child, as if possessed by the light, was soon able to meet his mother, who was also desperately looking for him.