Chapter 12: Representative of the Saint
Translator: Tseirp
Weiss was visibly wary of the mysterious giant who suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
“Who are you…? (He’s unharmed after a direct hit from Silver Brilliance? I don’t see any traces of him blocking it with magic or with a Gift. His armor probably has some secret trick…)”
In response to that question, Luna smiled fearlessly.
“Well, good question. My name is ─ Silver Glorious L Bloodfallen Heart!”
She still had not yet accepted the abbreviation ‘Silver’.
“Too long. Just Silver would be enough.”
“Gah… I knew that would happen…”
Weiss’s first attack caused slight damage to Luna’s spirit.
“So Silver, who the hell are you…?”
“I’m the Sai… no, a villainous ─ not that, an adventurer.’’
Luna kept saying the wrong things, but Weiss wasn’t paying attention.
Right then, she was focusing all her attention on measuring the enemy’s strength and the content of the conversation was secondary.
“Hmm, adventurer (this guy… I can’t detect any magic at all. Judging from that grandiose plate armor, is he a heavy infantry focused in defense? Ha, he might be the best match-up for me.)
Heavy infantry, which lacks mobility but excels in durability ─ that is the type of opponent that Weiss is best against.
Excellent compatibility. If she wanted to, she could easily overpower him.
That kind of composure was clearly visible on her face.
“Weiss, can I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead. Though there’s no guarantee I’ll answer properly.”
“Then ─ you said you were the ‘Representative of the Saint’, but is that true?”
“Ah, of course! I am the Saint’s representative! The inheritor of her legacy!”
Weiss spread her arms wide and began speaking in a loud voice so that the people below could hear her.
“One day, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet and talk with Saint-sama’s dead spirit! Her hatred towards humans was amazing, you know? Well, that’s only natural. She was betrayed by the people she had helped and faced the miserable end of getting burned to death!”
“““…”””
The people present all looked down as their sinful history was revisited.
“Saint-sama has given up on you! After seeing your inhumane deeds and cruel nature, she decided that she couldn’t do it anymore! Humans are the crystallization of evil! She claimed that there was no way to save a creature with such deeply ingrained sins!”
“That’s true.”
Luna didn’t deny it but nodded deeply.
Today’s social studies field trip showed her just how much humanity’s hidden cruelty was.
“You… you admit it so easily (…There’s something wrong with this guy named Silver. My unique magic <Soul Guilt> doesn’t seem to be working at all. Does he not hold a sense of guilt toward the Saint despite being human?)”
Unique magic <Soul Guilt>. Activates when one’s words instill a sense of guilt in the opponent’s mind, greatly weakening all of the target’s stats.
Weiss’s words were literally verbal attacks, ‘crushing the mind and spirit’ is her basic strategy for fighting.
And during this attack, by harshly criticizing humanity’s taboo, the ‘Saint’s Execution’, she succeeded in weakening the enemy’s abilities, including Rayos, but…
Naturally, it did not affect Luna, who is the Saint herself.
(Well, I’ll leave Silver aside for now… I have my own role to fulfill.)
Deciding so, Weiss focused silver light on both palms.
“Following the will of the Saint, I will begin my revenge on humanity! The Saint says, ‘Destroy the evil humans’!”
The eyes in both her hands shined brightly, releasing flashes of silver.
It mowed down the city as people released high-pitched screams and scattered in all directions.
“Hahahaha! What’s the matter? Rejoice! It’s the magic of your beloved Saint, isn’t it?”
With a mocking smile on her face, she broke people’s hearts with words and destroyed the city with Silver Brilliance.
When Luna saw that scene, she commented ‘I understand now’ while nodding.
“Ah… I see. So that’s what it was.”
She finally understood.
She had been feeling an indescribable feeling of discomfort in her chest ever since she first saw Weiss.
Now she finally understood why.
“It’s the same.”
Weiss’s words and actions were the same as those ugly humans three hundred years ago.
Luna’s mind flashed back to unpleasant conversations she had in the past.
[Why did you resort to such fierce attacks? The enemy no longer had any will to fight.]
[Sa-Saint-sama!? Yo-you’re mistaken! The leader told me to so I had no choice but to do it…! ]
They just did what someone told them to do.
[Why did you make such a heartless comment…? Discrimination against beasts is supposed to be prohibited in this country.]
[I-it’s a misunderstanding! That was what the Prime Minister said, it was definitely not my intention!]
They didn’t say it, someone else said it.
[Why poison the citizens’ wells? Even though they are from an enemy country, was there really a need to go that far?]
[I-I did not ask them to go that far! Those idiots in the squad did it based on their own judgment…! ]
They didn’t tell them to do it, they just did it on their own.
The lies that they are never responsible for it, and were told to do it by someone else ―Saint Luna hated that attitude.
As soon as she opened her mouth, she immediately declared, ‘That’s what the Saint said’ or ‘This is the Saint’s will’. Weiss’ act of putting all the responsibility on the Saint was exactly the same as the unsightly humans of 300 years ago.
“─Weiss.”
“What is it, Silver?”
“This is my first time seeing you, but it seems like I really hate you.”
The true nature of her discomfort was simple and clear ─ it was just a simple feeling of disgust.
“Aha, did you say you hate me? That’s right, I hate you too. You humans who killed Saint-sama!”
A flash of silver shot out from Weiss’s right hand ─ and hit Luna directly in the face.
“Hmm… this is certainly the same magic as the Saint. Who taught you this?”
Luna, who was hit directly by Gingka, was naturally unharmed.
“Didn’t I tell you earlier? The Saint’s dead spirit did.”
“I see, it seems like you have no intention of answering properly.”
When Luna shrugged her shoulders, Weiss asked a question.
“Still, Silver, you seem to be quite strong, aren’t you? (That Silver Brilliance just now was quite strong but… it doesn’t seem to be working. That armor spells trouble. That extraordinary magic defense, it is probably one of the ‘holy relics’ left behind by the legendary Saint party)”
“Well, it was quite strong in the past but… I wonder what it is considered now.”
Since being reincarnated in this era, Luna has fought with three people.
Self-proclaimed Strongest Pervert (Howard), Wall Sea Anemone (Oulu), and Highest-tier Protection Target (Rayos).
Unfortunately, none of them were helpful as a reference.
She was still unable to grasp her strength in modern times.
“Well, in any case, it doesn’t seem like I’ll be able to defeat you even if I keep firing Silver Brilliance.”
“You’re pretty weak-willed, aren’t you? Are you going to surrender?”
“No way! It’s not like that… I was just trying to be a bit silly so it’s about time I show some seriousness.”
Weiss spread her arms and opened her mouth wide.
Then, in the next moment, the three eyeballs in her right palm, left palm, and inside her oral cavity, which were the Silver Brilliance firing sources, suddenly floated into the air and turned into one giant eyeball.
“Tremble in fear! This is the great magic of the Saint, the ultimate blow that annihilates everything ─ a genuine ‘Silver Brilliance!”
As she screamed, a great amount of magical power was gathered in the eyeball floating in the sky.
One by one, the people who saw the abnormal output fell to their knees on the spot.
“Wh-what monstrous power…”
“That bastard still had such a trick up her sleeve…”
“Humans can’t defeat demons after all…”
While there was a hopeless atmosphere in the air, Luna cleared her throat with an ‘Ehem’.
“Weiss, a word?”
“What? Do you wish to say your final words?”
“I think you’ve misunderstood something… Silver Brilliance isn’t a magic that’s used alone, you know?”
“Ah?”
The next moment, Luna stretched out her right hand,
“Silver Brilliance ─ Thousand Scenery ─”
A thousand shining lights filled the sky.
“…… Hah?”
A hysterical sigh leaked from Weiss’s mouth.
(Why does Silver know Silver Brilliance…!? More importantly, what is with the scale of this insane magic!? What is this crazy output!? Th-this is impossible…! Such a monster… where did he come from?!)
She was simply overwhelmed by the sight, which looked like a scene from a myth.
Luna, on the other hand, wore the cold smile of a villainess and asked a malicious question borrowed from Weiss’ words.
“─What’s wrong, aren’t you happy? It’s the magic of your beloved Saint, isn’t it?”
“You, you bastard…! Don’t look down on Weiss Baderhorn!”
Weiss burnt all the magical power she had and fired the strongest Silver Brilliance she could.
In response, Luna swiftly swept her right hand horizontally.
“――Release.”
The next moment, the silver meteors released consumed Weiss’ Silver Brilliance in an instant and―,
“…Ah, gah…”
She was hit by a barrage of overwhelming firepower from all directions and disappeared from the world within a few tenths of a second, without leaving even a single cell.
Literally one hit kill.
Saint Luna showed off her ‘sheer difference in ability’.
And ─
(Im-impossible…)
Rayos Reinhardt, who witnessed the entire battle, was speechless.
(Weiss, who boasts the strength of a monster, was completely treated like a child…)
It was literally a difference by an order of magnitude.
That couldn’t be called a battle, it was just one-sided trampling.
(Silver Glorious L Bloodfallen Heart, who on earth is that man…!?)
As the whole city fell silent, Luna spoke to the people below.
“─I, am the true Saint’s representative.”
““…!?””
Hearing those words, the people held their breath.
“As the prophecy said, the Saint has reincarnated. However, she does not know what to do and has lost faith in humans. So, I would like you to show her. That humanity ─ is worthy of salvation…!”
As soon as Luna stopped speaking, sobs could be heard from people from all over the city.
“Uu, uu… the Saint… the Saint has finally been reincarnated…”
“Saint-sama, I hereby apologize for the disrespect of my foolish ancestors. I am truly sorry…”
“Saint-sama, thank you, thank you very much… I sincerely congratulate you on your reincarnation…”
Those choked with emotion, those who apologized for the mistakes of history, and those who repeated their gratitude, their faces were soaked with tears, but of course, that was not due to sadness.
The uncontrollable joy turned into tears that overflowed.
Meanwhile, a group of people clutching holy crosses appeared out of nowhere.
“─ Come on, everyone! Now is the time to pray to the Saint with all your heart and soul!”
As soon as the leader said that, all of them let out screams that were on the verge of breaking.
“Saint-sama…! Saint-sama…! Saint-sama…!”
Their prayer was usually viewed with cold eyes, but…
There was no longer a single person in that place who made fun of it.
“…Saint…”
A young man muttered,
“Saint… sama…”
A woman in the prime of her life continued in a low voice,
“…Saint-sama…”
An old lady spoke clearly,
“Saint-sama!”
A small child shouted at the top of their voice,
“…Saint-sama…!”
A big man screamed.
One by one, the people joined in…
“““““Saint-sama…! Saint-sama…! Saint-sama…!””””
The consciousness of the entire city was perfectly unified, forming an abnormally fervent atmosphere.
(Sorry, please stop that, it’s just terrifying…)
While Luna was stunned, a holy knight, Rayos Reinhardt, landed behind her.
“─ Hey, you called yourself Silver.”
“…What?”
After a moment of silence, Luna slowly turned around.
For a moment, she thought, ‘Maybe I should just say my full name properly’, but Rayos’ tone of voice was so serious that she had no choice but to swallow those words.
“Do you have a connection with the Saint?”
“Yeah”
“I see… there are a lot of things I’d like to ask you, but I guess you won’t answer them anyway.”
“Yeah.”
Luna nodded.
This time, she had no choice but to call herself the representative of the Saint because Weiss appeared and claimed to be one herself, so she announced herself as the Saint’s representative as ‘Adventurer Silver’.
Naturally, she had no intention of returning to the center stage.
“Then I want you to just convey one sentence.”
“What is it?”
“Please tell the Saint. ‘Please observe the growth of humanity ─ watch our brilliance.’’
“…Hmm, sure.”
In any case, the threat from Weiss was now gone.
(Everyone in town has gone crazy… let’s go home as soon as possible)
Just as Luna was about to use <Gate>, a loud explosion sounded from behind her.
Looking over, she saw a huge pillar of fire rising high into the sky, and a four-legged round creature floating in the crimson flames.
(A demon… there was another one)
That newly appeared demon landed in a corner of the city, turned around, and ran away at full speed.
(That demon seemed to be holding something important…?)
What she glimpsed for a moment was a book with a red cover.
(…I wonder what it is, I recognize it somewhere…?)
Luna’s head tilted quizzically as a man who appeared to be a researcher, let out a pained cry right near the epicenter of the explosion.
“Someone, please catch that demon! The Saint’s prophecy book, the Red Book, has been stolen…!”
““What!?””
From the beginning, the enemy was working in a pair.
Weiss was the diversion, a role to attract hate by showing off in public.
And the four-legged beast just now was the true agent, working secretly behind the scenes to steal the national treasure of the Elgia Kingdom.
Their target was the Saint’s prophecy book stored in the deepest part of the city.
“Ah, ah… the Saint’s prophecy book…”
“Even though the Saint finally reincarnated…”
“How can we face the Saint now…”
While people grieved, the holy knights shouted.
“Haaaaaah… Chase it! Do not let it escape!”
“The Saint’s prophecy book is… the hope for humanity…!”
“Even if it costs us our lives, we must get it back…”
The holy knights were already injured all over their bodies from the battle with Weiss but they stood up like ghosts, whipped their weary bodies, and chased after the demon.
But then,
“─Wait!”
Rayos called out to stop them.
“You are exhausted from the previous battle. The detailed strength of the enemy is unknown, but at least we should expect that it will be equal to or stronger than Weiss. Chasing them now is a completely bad idea, it’s like throwing your life away!”
The holy knights object to his statement.
“B-but… then the Saint’s prophecy will fall into the hands of the demons!”
“Remember what Silver said!”
“We have to show the Saint that we are worthy of salvation!?”
Rayos’ reminder echoed as the holy knights voiced their objections.
“You fools, cool your head! Think carefully about the Saint’s true intentions!”
““Saint-sama’s true intentions…!?””
“Once upon a time, the Saint advocated the salvation of mankind, she acted with the people’s lives as her top priority without consideration for herself! Even if it is a holy relic or a prophetic book written by the Saint, it cannot be given priority over the lives of the people! I’m sure the Saint would say so!”
“““…’’’’’’
It was a perfectly valid argument, with no room for refutation.
Strong, kind and beautiful, thinks about the people, fights for the people, and does everything for the people.
That was ‘Saint-sama’ ─ the symbol of humanity’s salvation.
“Damn… we made another wrong decision…’’
“I feel sorry for not being able to come up with that idea even after learning about the Saint…”
“I must deepen my thoughts and understand the true intention of the Saint…’’
The holy knights were ashamed of their inconsideration and ─ they were moved.
They couldn’t stop crying as they remembered how much the Saint cared for humanity, and her compassion was deeper than the ocean and higher than the mountains.
Rayos, who had perfectly grasped the Saint’s true intentions and stopped the holy knight’s reckless behavior, looked back.
“If it was the Saint, she would have prioritized the lives of the people over the Red Book ─ I’m sure you agree, Silver?”
“Hell no! Everyone must give chase right now even if it kills them…!”
“E-eh…”
Her answer was so polar opposite of what he expected that Rayos’ jaw dropped.
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R2D2TS
Thanks for the chapter.