Chapter 104. The Southern Great Forest
"...Are you truly letting them go like this, Your Holiness?" Hapiel asked.
"I believe so, Sir Hapiel," Elijah replied, letting out a small sigh as he watched the silhouettes of the elves and Caron's group disappear into the distance.
The filthy demonic monsters that had infested this fortress were mostly dealt with, yet the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom dared not confront the elves.
"My apologies, Your Holiness. I didn't expect that wicked Caron Leston to strike so suddenly..." Hapiel murmured, biting his lip as he looked down at the bandages around his abdomen.
Though Elijah had personally treated his wounds, the injury refused to heal fully. Saint Elijah was someone with divine power capable of reattaching a severed limb, so a cut from a sword would normally have been easy to heal. And yet, this wound remained stubborn.
"Sir Hapiel," Elijah said, his voice quiet but commanding.
Hapiel bowed his head in response and replied, "Yes, Your Holiness."
"The fault lies in your lack of skill. I'll allow no more excuses. Rest and recover as soon as we return," Elijah said.
Hapiel was considered a prodigy of the Holy Kingdom, a master in both swordsmanship and divine power. Elijah had been certain that Hapiel would one day serve on the front lines of the holy crusade as a true paladin. But now, things had changed. Caron Leston's demon sword had left a mark on Hapiel that ran deeper than flesh.
Though Elijah hadn't yet told Hapiel, he knew the truth. He thought, ...It'll become difficult for him to even wield divine power.
That once-glowing talent had been snuffed out. The scar on Hapiel's abdomen bore the cursed energy of the demon sword, rendering much of his spiritual pathways permanently crippled.
That was undeniably a demon sword, Elijah thought. A blade that held such power could only be called such.
"Enjoy your victory while it lasts, Caron Leston," Elijah muttered, his gaze fixed on the distant figures. Perhaps he was letting them go today, but things would be different next time. In some ways, he was glad for this encounter, as it had revealed just how dangerous and heretical Caron truly was.
Although it was a sneaky attack, Caron had pierced Hapiel with a single blow, and his unholy mana had even devoured divine energy. But the true problem was that Caron was only seventeen years old. He was already a terror, and given time, he would only grow into a more monstrous force.
"I won't stand idly by," Elijah swore softly.
Caron Leston was already an enemy of the Holy Kingdom. He could not coexist with their righteous cause. Elijah nodded to himself, then turned to John, the Inquisitor standing by his side.
"What is Caron Leston's position within House Leston right now?" Elijah asked.
"Due to the considerable authority that has recently been granted to Caron's father, Fayle Leston, the succession is becoming rather complicated, with Caron becoming an increasingly prominent candidate," John answered.
"Grand Duke Halo... So he's the one backing Caron Leston," Elijah murmured.
"Yes, you could say that," John replied steadily.
The Ducal Family of Leston was one of the few households even the Holy Kingdom couldn't easily confront. Its current head, Halo Leston, had earned the title of Soldier of the Holy Kingdom fifty years prior for thwarting the dark ambitions of the Malevolent Emperor. Without a question, Halo was one of the continent's strongest forces. He was a figure who would bring considerable political backlash if made into an enemy outright. So directly targeting Grand Duke Halo was off the table, but that didn't mean there was no way to interfere.
After a brief pause, Elijah said in a low voice, "Send a formal notice to the Ducal Family of Leston once we return."
The fact remained that Caron Leston had pierced Hapiel with his sword. Demanding accountability for such an act was only natural.
"Caron Leston will come to regret his reckless judgment," Elijah said, his expression sharpening.
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The Holy Kingdom's power was not rooted solely in divine strength. Its true power lay in its faithful followers spread across the continent. If word circulated among them that Caron Leston was a wielder of a demon sword, his reputation would be steadily tarnished.
Along with that, if they extended a hand to Halo's other sons, who were currently vying for succession... Caron's standing within his family would inevitably crumble. In time, he would lose the family's protection entirely.
"You'll regret making an enemy of us, Caron Leston," Elijah whispered with conviction.
Even a scion of the great Ducal Family of Leston was, in the end, only human when compared to the Blessed Light's higher purpose. Elijah was more than willing to bear the humiliation he had just endured, for he was prepared to devote himself wholly to a world ruled by the light.
"It is time to cleanse this foul place once and for all," Elijah declared.
A radiant blaze erupted from his body; it was the Sacred Fire. Holy flames, which purified all that was wicked, swiftly engulfed the fortress of flesh around him. Soon, no one would be able to stand against the Light's purifying wrath. No one at all.
***
"I can't help but feel a little uneasy going against the Holy Kingdom," Leon muttered, glancing back from atop her white wolf.
"Don't worry about it, Leon," Caron replied with a shrug. "I'm the only one who played the villain there, right? It's not as if you're going to face any consequences."
"We're family, Caron," Leon said firmly. "If you face any consequences, then we will too."
"...Is that so?" Caron replied, a bit taken aback.
Despite having the same parents, Hugo and Leon couldn't have been more different. Hugo often looked for opportunities to keep Caron in check, but Leon was different. Caron knew she truly meant what she said.
Thinking back, it had been that way since he first came to Azureocean Castle. At every meal, Leon had been the only one who showed real curiosity about him. They hadn't spent much time together since then, given that Leon was constantly away on missions, but whenever they did meet, she never hid her warmth toward him.
"Caron, your enemies are my enemies," Leon said.
"That's... a little embarrassing," Caron replied.
"If I follow you, I think I'll be able to achieve my goal," Leon said.
Come to think of it, Caron realized he'd never actually asked Leon what her dreams were. Still, he had an idea of what her goal was.
It's probably attaining perfection in the sword, Caron thought.
Leon had always been completely devoted to her sword. She worked tirelessly to improve her swordsmanship, finding satisfaction in every bit of progress. The phrase "martial artist" suited her more than anyone Caron knew. With her mix of passion and talent, there was no doubt that Leon would reach great heights.
If it's possible, I should try to get some more Dew of the World Tree, Caron mused.
He knew that Leon and Leo becoming stronger would only be a boon for him. After all, no one could handle everything alone.
And I could shift a lot of annoying work onto them too, Caron thought. Of course, that was his real reason.
Just as Caron and his group were exchanging stories, Orion called out, "The Great Forest lies ahead."
They saw in the distance a forest of towering trees, distinct from the surrounding terrain. This was the Southern Great Forest, blessed by the World Tree.
"No need to tense up," Orion said, riding his wolf as he pulled up beside Caron. "I can feel the spirits welcoming you all. It seems the pure mana of the Leston family appeals to them."
"Spirits are better than people, that's for sure. Those fanatics we met earlier seemed intent on tearing me apart, didn't they?" Caron remarked.
"Of course, spirits are leagues above fanatics," Orion replied with a faint smile.
"Galad is still about an hour away," he added. "There shouldn't be any immediate danger, so I'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's all right."
"Go ahead, feel free," Caron replied.
Orion nodded, then asked without hesitation, "I was wondering if Foina is well?"
"Oh, you know Foina?" Caron asked, surprised.
"She ventured into the human world alone to rescue those of our kind who were taken captive. How could I not know of her?" Orion answered.
Caron chuckled and said, "Foina is doing fine, as always."
With that, Caron began recounting his recent encounters to Orion, from his first meeting with Foina to his most recent mission to rescue Neria. Orion listened in silence, but when the story about Neria came up, great anger appeared on his face.
"So, it was as I suspected," Orion murmured, his voice laced with anger. "It was human knights who took Neria, then?"
"She's safe now. Foina is watching over her in Thebe, so don't worry," Caron reassured him. "Oh, and I took care of Leandro, the Marquis of the Border, the one who tried to claim her."
"You did what we would have done ourselves," Orion replied, nodding solemnly. "We owe you a debt for that."
"I didn't do that for the elves, to be honest." Caron shrugged.
"Regardless, you took revenge on our behalf," Orion said. "It's only right that we repay you."
Just then, Leo, who'd been listening, turned pale. He said hesitantly, "...Caron. Did you just say you killed Leandro, the Marquis of the Border? I didn't... mishear, did I?"
But before Caron could answer, Utula's booming voice cut in. "I saw it myself! Caron Leston beheaded that vile marquis!"
"...Wow, you crazy bastard." Leo said, then looked to Utula. "Wait, Utula. Then are you...?"
"Caron saved me in Reben!" Utula proclaimed proudly. "I'm repaying that debt by standing by his side!"
Leo was no longer the oblivious person he had once been. He was able to clearly grasp the potential consequences of Caron's actions. The missions he'd been accomplishing had broadened his perspective, allowing him to see the world with sharper eyes.
The empire must be in chaos by now, Leo thought. The fact that Caron had branded a border marquis as a traitor and killed him within just two days was hard to believe.
But above all else...
...The scale of how Caron deals with things has grown over the past four years, Leo thought. The scope of Caron's actions had expanded significantly, and that terrified him.
While Leo was still reeling, Leon gave Caron a nod of approval, saying, "You killed someone who deserved it. Well done, Caron. Though, there's one thing I find disappointing."
"What's disappointing, Leon?" Caron asked, curious.
"You killed him too easily. A man like that should've been dragged alive behind a horse," Leon answered.
"Next time something similar comes up, I'll be sure to seek your advice," Caron replied with a grin.
"Knights who abandon their honor are worse than animals. They ruin the very name of the knights. I say wipe them all out," Leon said, clenching her fist as she spoke with fiery conviction.
Caron watched her with a smile playing on his lips, saying, "Amazing. That's the spirit!"
"Promise you'll tell me first if something like this comes up again. I want a hand in it, too," Leon insisted.
"Of course, Leon," Caron reassured her.
Leo let out a long, weary sigh as he watched his two cousins, so perfectly in sync.
Caron has ended up corrupting Leon now, he thought. Even just a few years earlier, Leon hadn't been so extreme. Clearly, she'd been heavily influenced by Caron.
Although, Leo had to admit... Caron did the right thing.
With that, the group continued to talk as they made their way toward the Great Forest, sharing stories of recent events along the way.
Half an hour later, Orion pulled his wolf to a stop and announced, "From here on, this is the Southern Great Forest."
Caron took a deep breath and looked around his surroundings. Towering trees stretched high into the sky, and the air was thick with pure, untamed mana. Though a few trees showed small signs of being touched by dark mana, the forest itself seemed to be actively resisting it, as if it had a will of its own.
"Welcome to the Great Forest, friends," Orion said.
"Wow," Caron murmured in awe, feeling genuinely moved. It was his first time in the Great Forest, but he immediately sensed something profound.
"I might not even need the Dew of the World Tree," he remarked, amazed. The mana in the air was so dense that it seeped into his body with every breath. There was no doubt in his mind that this mana came from the World Tree itself.
"...Elves truly are a blessed race," Caron muttered, finding himself understanding their sense of superiority for once. Perhaps he could even reach 7-Star here.