Chapter 156 - Volume 2

TL: So what happened for the past week? Cough. My mouse broke down and I went shopping for a new one. I had a pretty shitty mouse that I used for overwatch, and so I got a cheap gaming mouse for 10 dollars to game at it…… In case you were wondering if there’s any manga like progression where I git gud at gaming, nope. Anyways, I had a lot of fun (I’ll never game like that again) and I’ll be translating for a full day as an apology for going completely MIA. I know that cliffhanger is like wtf……

You can expect 3 more chapters soon (Over the next few hours).

Chapter 101 – Perfect completion

The battle was over before it started.

The high ranking Disciples of the Black Flames were no match for the Elven heavy infantry who possessed the Element powers. The Silver Elves who lived long lives were exceedingly focused on learning combat techniques. Not only did they have high physique and excellent equipment, they had continuously sought to improve their skills for centuries.

Under their watchful eyes, the slight movements that their enemies made were enough for them to see through their intentions. Brendel watched the disciples use their abilities in front of the Elven warriors and could not resist laughing. In front of the Silver Elves who pursued perfection in combat, it was the equivalent of desecrating the highest form of art.

The Silver Elves could not believe the servants of darkness dared to use such mediocre techniques against them. Their battles against the Dragon of Darkness and the Miirna were the greatest they had ever faced. Their enemies had exceptional magic spells and combat techniques that made them gasp. They had never despised the servants of Darkness, simply because they were truly at the forefront of the world’s civilization.

They were so skilled that more than a few of the Silver Elves actually turned to the Darkness. Yet these foes had declined, no, they did not even have techniques to speak of now.

It was an insult.

The disciples did not expect their last resistance to draw the ire of the Silver Elves. In fact, everyone under Brendel’s group felt ashamed when they saw the skill of the Silver Elves.

It was true!

After the War of the Holy Saints, civilization did not flourish but waned. The ultimate skills that both factions possessed had became nothing more than legends.

But regardless of what others thought, the battle in front of them was over in the blink of an eye. The disciples turned into headless corpses with black blood pouring out from their wounds, turning into streams that filled the uneven ground’s cracks.

It looked like a network of veins with black blood.

The white-haired youth seemed like he was rooted to the ground by an invisible force. His mouth was wide open with gurgling sounds in his throat, unable to form a word.

Suddenly a clattering sound could be heard behind Brendel’s group. They turned back and discovered it was the biggest man in the Grey Wolves Mercenaries who dropped his greatsword. That man did not seem to realize he dropped his weapon, and merely looked at the group of Silver Elves who had regrouped.

[Twenty Elves who had the unsealed their Element powers! Marsha above, the strongest forces in Aouine are not any better than them!]

Some of the Grey Wolves Mercenaries glanced at Brendel, wondering who exactly was the person who used them as guards.

[Is this merchant actually one of Kirrlutz’s princes? Did he come to this place by coincidence? Or is it a high level successor to the Holy Cathedral of Fire and these knights are here to guard him?] (TL: There was a small description in the past chapter about how the people who unsealed their Element powers needed to register in the Holy Cathedral of Fire. I don’t think the Silver Elves are under that faction or bound by their rules in any way. The people who unsealed their Element are called Knights of the Holy Cathedral of Fire after registering. While there might be some church faction that is related to the Holy Cathedral of Fire, these knights are not under them but more of a formality, probably.)

They had wild guesses as they could no longer believe he was just a simple merchant.

Only Scarlett kept her wits about her and she swung her halberd onto the ground with a loud crash. Her meaning was clear; she did not want the Elves to kill Redi. Her lips were pursed tightly and her expression solemn. She knew that she was not a match for anyone amongst the Elves, but even so, there was no intention of retreating in her eyes. Her body was placed slightly forward like a panther ready to pounce.

“Scarlett?” Sanford knew of the girl’s movements. He and the other mercenaries were previously too focused on the Disciples, but now that they were gone they realized that it was someone they knew all too well.

“Scarlett, that bastard is a traitor! Why are you defending him!” The big mercenary yelled loudly.

“It’s only this time—” She said through gritted teeth, but she suddenly shook her head as if to drive a thought out of her mind: “Only this final time, I can’t watch him die here.”

“Scarlett?” Redi was momentarily confused. He suddenly saw the former Scarlett from her figure.

“Get lost right now!” She roared angrily: “Find Conrad!”

Brendel looked at this scene in surprise. He had seen enough in the game to recognize that the will of this ‘Crimson Spectral Knight’ had not completely disappear.

[It’s her desire to protect Redi! A bishop of the Tree Shepherds who doesn’t care about life will never protect someone of their own volition, so this means she’s actually at her infancy of becoming one.]

Brendel suddenly realized how she turned into a Spectral Knight and gave a thumbs up in his mind. Her spirit was actually able to resist the Blood of Gods’ invasive nature. But even though he admired her tenacity, he was not one to let this disgusting narcissist escape, not to mention he hated to let any enemy of his get away from him.

[I can’t let this crazy idiot escape. What happens if he turns to some form of ultraman to fight me? Even if there’s no plot armor protecting him, I’m going to regret it if he hurts someone close to me.]

He decisively gestured at both of them: Knock out that girl, kill that bastard.

The Elven commander looked at him in surprise. The gestures that Brendel did were the very gestures that were used in the Era of Chaos, but he quickly followed his orders and ordered his men to move out.

Even if Scarlett had turned into the complete version of the Crimson Spectral Knight, there was no way for Redi to escape.

============== Conrad POV ==============

Baern Shyrltaesi, the ruins that was left behind during the Year of Brilliance by the Silver Elves when they retreated.

The commander of the Lizardmen, Hewjil, occupied the largest hall of the ruins. The Silver Elves had used this section for worship and important rituals, but after several centuries of disuse, the once grand hall had became decrepit.

Perhaps due to instinct or because the Lizardmen had not completely evolved from their primitive self, Hewjil had a strong sense to be territorial and believed anyone who wanted to oust him from this area was challenging his authority as the leader of the Lizardmen bandits.

What Hewjil was proud of was his sense of aesthetic. Unlike the other brutish Lizardmen, he had cleaned this hall like a civilized person, placed a red carpet in the center leading to a grand chair like how it was done centuries ago, with various stolen furniture that had different designs placed without any particular orde. Hewjil enjoyed the disorder and ordered his subordinates to stack these furniture up, of which he took time every day to study each piece.

When Conrad and the dark bishop entered the hall, the three of them snorted coldly at the same time.

Hewjil hated to even look at their face, while the other two men did not want to interact with a primitive creature. Conrad especially hated the messy hall which he thought that it looked like a garbage dump.

“Cunrat, you had died in the battle, I received news of that.” Hewjil straightened his shirt’s collar which was robbed from a noble. His wrinkled face was full of disappointment: “A pity, fake news, it was.”

“I am going to remind you for the last time, my name is Conrad.” The mercenary commander did not have the mood to correct his bizarre Kirrlutz accent, and merely reminded that lizard not to roll the tongue to pronounce his name.

“The same to me.” Hewjil looked at the bishop in arrogance: “Not keen to see me, I thought you said that.”

“You used the excuse of investigating the temple grave of the Silver Elves’ kings, but it seemed like you are proud of acting like bandits.” Conrad snapped coldly as he surveyed the surroundings: “These things that you stole must be worth quite a lot, aren’t they.”

“No, no, doing serious work.” Hewjil’s wrinkles became even deeper as he resisted shaking his head.

“Then what have you discovered?”

“A little. But not much progress.” Hewjil shook his head vigorously: “We could approach not the surroundings of the temple. But this item help me do so.” He grabbed a necklace and shook it. “Wizard, I need more of these.”

The two men exchanged looks. It seemed like Hewjil was really doing proper work, but that particular matter was not of priority at the moment. Conrad arranged the thoughts in his mind and spoke: “That is not a problem. We require your help in another matter right now.”

“I helped you already.” Hewjil said unhappily. He spread the news of his group looting in the area in order to lure the Grey Wolves Mercenaries over to this location, but it had also attracted the attention of the nearby adventurers as well.

“There will be benefits for you.” The dark bishop spoke in a low voice.

“What benefits?”

“Something big enough.” Conrad’s expression was solemn.

============ Brendel POV ================

A loud thud could be heard.

Brendel had grabbed Redi’s white hair and smashed it onto the ground, causing the latter to scream out. The news gotten from Redi had made it clear to Brendel that the script had deviated from the walkthrough, even though that result was something that he did not hope for.

[Conrad and the dark disciples have targeted me even before I reached the Lizardmen— I should have predicted that this might be an outcome. Was this moron going to betray Makarov regardless, or did I change something? The fact that he showed up with the Crimson Spectral Knight…… It doesn’t really matter now. What is important is knowing Conrad had gone to Baern’s ruins and has completely abandoned the idea of chasing Buga and Makarov. Instead he has turned his full attention to me.]

Brendel’s fury was at its peak at Makarov’s scheme. This outcome of events had turned into a grave situation and caused serious trouble.

“My lord, should we retreat?” Amandina did not speak after listening to Redi’s description of what happened, and only spoke after a long while.

Brendel waved his hand.

[They are going to pay a bitter price if they really want to cause trouble for me. Very well, it seems like it’s going to be a 100% completion route where I kill them all. It’s not as if I have never completed 100% in similar quests before. I wonder what Mother Marsha would give me as a reward…..]

Brendel quickly calmed down. He wanted to see how strong his enemies were and was imagining how he would cut them down one by one, but his thoughts was soon interrupted by Sanford.

“My lord, what about Scarlett?” Sanford cautiously came over and asked quietly.

Brendel glanced at the unconscious girl. Several Silver Elves were standing beside her, waiting for the order to kill her. There was never going to be a kill order for her in Brendel’s mind. Putting aside what the new Grey Wolves Mercenaries would think, he would never agree to kill her. There was a connection between her and the Eversong card, if her fate could not be turned her next best result would be something like how Medissa turned out to be.

[Based on Redi’s description on that strange figure, it should be that bishop mentioned in the walkthrough. Since she is only turned recently, then there might be some hope.]

Brendel was not inhumane enough to try and seal a living person as a card, and he was very willing to rescue this girl who had a fiery personality. Perhaps she might even be willing to his subordinate, with the strength of a Gold-ranked fighter.

“Bring her along. She’s your companion after all. Perhaps there’s still some way to save her.” He said without thinking much.

“She can be saved?!” Sanford was shocked and urgently asked.

“I will try my best.” Brendel nodded.

Sanford nodded to accept his answer. He understood that Scarlett’s condition was somehow strange.

“How about this person?” Amandina asked quietly with a little disgust when she looked at Redi. He was forced to taste the mud as he struggled to breathe.

With those words, he seemed to regain his strength and tried to raise his head up with effort. His face was mingled with soil and tears as he yelled with all his might: “You promised, as long I told you everything you wouldn’t kill me—“

“My words count.” Brendel nodded.

He patted his hands as he released Redi, then looked at the Silver Elf beside him: “Commander, I will have to trouble you to take over what I wanted to do originally.” (TL: If you still don’t get it, it’s game over for Redi.)