Heavenly protective barrier.
Once a day, this transcendental-grade artifact absolutely blocks any attack.
However, due to Nahan’s unfortunate mistake, the artifact had its reinforcement seal used, and it is now an Ex-grade belonging item.
It was the Gardner family heirloom wherein the soul of its progenitor, Balak Gardner, slept.
Despite appearances, in various ways, it was still an exceptional artifact.
“Ugh, war is such a hassle.”
“Pardon me? War?”
“The Heavenly Shield is gone. Sooner or later, there will definitely be a war.”
Why, though?
With such a question in mind, Marin was looked at, and she opened her mouth with a serious expression.
“Give the cookies back.”
“…But I’ve already crumbled and swallowed them.”
“…”
While watching Marin’s languid shock, Ian Red thought ‘Are there no normal people in Kwangmyeong?’
Around that time, Tehelaran, who had maintained silence, handed a candy from on top of the desk to Marin.
“For now, take this.”
“Ah! Thank you, Tehelaran!”
“Not at all.”
Rustle, rustle.
While Marin’s attention was on the candy, Tehelaran quietly began.
“I assume you all know, but our Gardner family has guarded this place from the founding of the empire to the present.”
The Gardner Dukedom.
Between the land of the demon race and the land of humans, generation after generation, they built a sturdy fortress on the demon hand front line, guarding the empire like an impenetrable guardian family.
Because of this, it was filled with valiant warriors, even mercenaries abounded.
However, if someone were to ask Tehelaran if the biggest factor in front-line defense was them, he would shake his head and reply, saying that the defense wall built over a thousand years ago did ninety percent or more of the job.
“The wall is strong as it is, but when it resonates, it truly reveals its greatest power.”
When the protective stones mixed in between ordinary boulders resonate with aura, a boundary as strong as an iron wall forms across its entirety.
“However, as you can tell from the size and length of the wall, it requires an immense amount of aura every time it resonates.”
When Tehelaran glanced at Hestia on the desk, she nodded in response.
“All the protective stones on the wall are uncut crystals. Even Brother could hardly last a day. A tremendous amount of aura is consumed in maintaining the wall.”
“Long or short, we need to see…”
Just as Balkin was about to yell, Tehelaran glanced at him sternly and stopped him.
“Do not act rashly.”
After accepting Balkin’s apology, Tehelaran’s mouth moved again.
“Anyway, the reason the Gardner wall has been maintained until now has been solely thanks to the ‘Heavenly Protective Barrier.’”
The progenitor of the Gardner family.
The Iron Wall Hero Balak Gardner created this artifact after completing the wall.
It was recorded that ancient dragon technology was involved. This shield, like its master and Balak’s heart, ceaselessly generated aura.
Moreover,
“Not the average artifact-grade aura, but aura on par with the progenitor.”
According to the laws of nature, there are no fountains that don’t dry up, no estates that don’t run out. But the Heavenly Protective Barrier made it possible.
“Therefore, successive heads of the Gardner family used the Heavenly Protective Barrier to continuously activate the wall’s protective stones daily.”
However, recently.
After the Black Wolf’s raid, the Heavenly Protective Barrier disappeared, and due to its aftermath, the wall is now on the brink of going out.
Thanks to Tehelaran’s continuous aura infusion every hour, it’s managed not to go out, only barely maintaining at around 1% of its normal strength.
“But even that will only last for three more days. After that, the wall’s protection will disappear.”
In other words,
“Soon, the likelihood of the demon race invading is high, and if a war breaks out as a result, the chances are high that we’ll fall within just a few days.”
As Tehelaran finished speaking, a heavy shadow fell over everyone’s expressions.
“The situation is more serious than expected.”
“Ah, Asha, would it not be fine if you remained here throughout the war?”
“Balkin, even if I guard this place, what if a general-level threat appears on another front during that time?”
“…Damn.”
As this continued, Tehelaran calmly continued his speech.
“According to yesterday’s reconnaissance magic, even the demon race’s front line adjacent to us is beginning to show movement.”
“Already? How many days has it been since we returned?”
The demon race.
While they have a low reproductive capacity, they possess physical abilities far above humans.
Due to their inherently belligerent nature, they’ve been in conflict with humans for a long time. However, they retreated into their territory after the great clash around the establishment of the empire.
Despite each individual being strong, they were scattered factions that left each other alone without any interference.
“However, this time is different. Immediately after sensing the wall’s anomaly, they seem to have quickly restored all the damage inflicted by Brightness.”
As Tehelaran spoke, it was clear that they were currently in the process of reorganizing the front line after quickly restoring the damage they had suffered from Brightness.
To put it simply,
“If we do not recover the Heavenly Protective Barrier, a war will break out soon.”
War.
Since most of them had experienced it, they maintained a heavy silence, while Ian Red’s subordinate, Nahan, thought,
‘Ah, it doesn’t matter.’
I foolishly thought it would help because it was a transcendental grade item and took it, only to find out it was the suppressor of the empire’s war with the demon race.
“If only you had mentioned it sooner, I wouldn’t have taken it. The setting manual didn’t say anything like that.”
Though he wanted to return it immediately, since it had become Nahan’s exclusive item after using the reinforcement seal.
Moreover,
-[Hmm. You’re not a knight of the house as I thought, but the head. You’ve weakened indulging in peace.]
Along with an utterly useless bonus item.
Pricked by a sense of guilt, Nahan pretended to ponder internally.
As they were all lost in thought in silence, Asha turned around quietly and opened her mouth.
“Listen up, Brightness. We’re going to exterminate the Black Wolf now.”
Damn.
The direct conflict between Brightness and the Black Wolf is the fourteenth episode out of fifteen.
Predicting when the bad ending would be prevented, I expected the timeline to be brought forward, but being this premature meant that one of either the Emperor or the Hero’s salvation would surely fail.
“Think. Think, think…!!”
As Nahan frantically searched for the best move,
“…Ah.”
Marin’s face contorted grotesquely as she unleashed a fearsome killing intent.
What is it?
Did she find out I have a brand?
Just as Nahan, unaware, swallowed his saliva cautiously while observing Marin and stayed on guard,
Marin’s intimidating killing intent bypassed Nahan and went straight to Tehelaran.
“Are you trying to die, Tehelaran?”
“…I apologize. It was all my inadequacy that caused this.”
Though Tehelaran, equally startled, bowed his head as if acknowledging his failure,
“What? The candy you gave to Nahan.”
“…Yes?”
“This is ginseng candy, isn’t it?”
That wasn’t the point.
With a golden gleam in her eyes, Marin sternly warned,
“Get me something else quickly. Cookies or cake. Or I’ll really get angry.”
“I’ll get it myself.”
“Strawberries.”
“Yes, strawberry cake.”
After releasing the barrier, Tehelaran left to fetch it, opening the door.
At last, Marin, who had spat out the candy, hesitated while about to throw it away.
“Why are you acting like this?”
“…Because it’s still candy.”
Marin’s character: She doesn’t forgive any dessert from being wasted.
No matter how tasteless the dessert may be, she never gives it to someone else but swallows it herself.
She believes that’s the minimum courtesy toward the desserts that have come into existence.
‘She will figure it out herself, surely.’
Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about such matters.
‘Really, what should I do? Should I sneak by every day and quietly replenish the aura? But what if I get found out? I’m still too weak to fight alone.’
The tightly whirring mind,
‘Ah, I have a craving for sweets.’
The moment he unconsciously thought of such,
…Click.
A warm and sweet something rolled into Nahan’s mouth.
The subsequent spreading of a robust fragrance.
When he looked down in surprise at the interruption of his focus, Marin, adjusting her stance, casually asked,
“How is it?”
If he were honest, it was the sort of taste that he’d have had two or three if they were available.
But he wouldn’t have bought them, so,
“It’s not bad enough not to be edible.”
Mixing truth with a bit of deceit, he sincerely replied, and Marin lazily grinned while nodding.
“Originally, that’s how it is.”
“Huh?”
“A few failed desserts must exist so that a tastier dessert can come into being. And even those failed desserts – they’re pretty tasty in their own right.”
The lazy gaze carried an obvious gold flash.
Realizing unconsciously the reason Marin was called a Great Sage, Nahan nodded along as she whispered softly.
“I trust you enough to go to sleep. When it tastes better later, then maybe I’ll also help.”
“Huh?”
“Pretend you don’t know. You can see everything, can’t you?”
Following Marin’s gesture with his head, standing there was Balak Gardner.
“[…Eh, did that child just now…?]
Balak was baffled only for a moment.
Before he could say “What’s going on here…”, a far more bewildered Nahan tried to reach out to offer an excuse, but Marin, avoiding him slightly, spoke to Asha first.
“Stop worrying, Asha. Because his progenitor is residing within him.”
“…What does that mean?”
“Um, not residing so much, but maybe roaming around or something? Well, if you think about it, it makes sense… Ah, whatever. I’m just going to sleep. Anyway, tell him to take care of it.”
While rubbing her sleepy eyes, Marin swiped the cake and cookies from Tehelaran using mana, and waved to Nahan.
“Bye, see you soon.”
And that was it.
Crash!
Marin shattered like glass breaking under the sunlight, disappearing with a brilliant scattering.
And thus, Balkan and Hestia remained.
“Our progenitor, you say!! What do you mean by that, red-haired priest!!!”
“Do not yell and ask questions in order, Brother. Rather, may I ask first about his abilities?”
Tehelaran and Asha.
“Silence both of you. Is he not both benefactor and noble? Sir, may I inquire perhaps of what abilities you have awakened?”
“…So that second ability is true, then? Priest, from you, how…?”
And amidst them, surrounded by four people whose eyes sparkled with interest, smiling,
‘This is madness.’
Everyone’s friend, Ian Red,
‘I haven’t fully figured it out yet.’
What to call that ability?
Spirit communication?
Guidance of the spirit?
Anyway, somethingspiritual?
After a short period of contemplation, he finally found the optimal move and opened his mouth.
“My second ability is…”
